Partnering with Red Cross in Montenegro

By using their communications services and know how, Telenor Montenegro will help Red Cross of Montenegro to improve their communication and efficiency of work.

Technical equipment and solutions from Telenor

The partnership, which focuses on improving communication flows within the Red Cross, as well as with key target groups, has several components. A special tariff package and mobile phones from Telenor will enable the volunteers and coordinators to call each other free of charge. In addition, laptops and modems with mobile Internet will help them timely information and notifications anytime anywhere.

More efficient responses to emergencies

Activists and volunteers who work for the Red Cross will be on the same network and have free mutual communication, improving their ability to respond effectively when an incident occurs.

“When a disaster happens, a lot of important things depend on how fast you react and on efficient communication between team members and as well external parties involved. It is necessary to send reports, call for help from the field, and laptops and mobile Internet we got from Telenor Montenegro will improve and make it easier for coordinators in the field to be more effective and more efficient”, says Goran Petrušić, coordinator of Disaster response program in Red Cross Montenegro.

Connecting the elderly in rural areas

Old people are one of the most vulnerable groups Red Cross Montenegro works with. The main challenge is that the majority of them lives alone, tens of kilometers away from the nearest neighbor, and often do not have much money.

Telenor provided free SIM cards to enable free connection and free communication between the elderly people and the regional coordinators. Connecting the Red Cross and the elderly in this way is also good in terms of daily follow-up of elderly in rural areas and providing help in an emergency.

“Sometimes it happens to me that I do not talk to anybody for days. I live alone and rarely get visitors. A little talk with coordinators is getting me back to life. I feel much better. I tell them how I feel and if I need something and they sometimes come to visit me. It means a lot to me to talk to them”, one of the elderly says.

Facilitate education among the Rome population

Another significant activity for Red Cross is management of the Konik Camp, where it aims to provide education and give social and health protection to the Roma population in the camp. Telenor Montenegro’s provision laptops and modems for mobile internet will facilitate this work.

“Now I can also be on Facebook, for which I have just heard from my friends, and now I could be connected with my friends. Laptop and Internet give me possibility also to read about many interesting things, to be better prepared for homework, to practice new things on the computer which we learn at school”, says Fazit, who is 17 years old and lives in camp Konik.

Enabling access and creating value

This partnership with the Red Cross Montenegro is an example of how the Telenor Group focuses on bringing the benefits of mobile communications to people around the world. Through its communications services and cooperation with skilled partners, Telenor helps people access information that may improve their daily lives. This is in line with the Telenor Group’s Corporate Responsibility focus on “enable”, a concept that encourages the use of communications to create shared value for society and Telenor.

The Telenor Group strategy for responsibility