Rwandan winner of MTV Base meets…with MTN to meet Akon in the US

After  two months of sending text messages, a Rwandan has won a once in a lifetime trip to Los Angeles, USA in September 2012 to meet with award-winning musician, writer, producer and activist Akon for the final episode in the current TV series MTV Base Meets…with MTN. 

Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Marc Gwamaka

After  two months of sending text messages, a Rwandan has won a once in a lifetime trip to Los Angeles, USA in September 2012 to meet with award-winning musician, writer, producer and activist Akon for the final episode in the current TV series MTV Base Meets…with MTN.  Marc Gwamaka, a 24 year old Rwandan, who is also the founder of Walk to Remember, was chosen along with eight  other young Africans to meet the R&B superstar and also participate in the final season of the youth empowering TV series. The show connects African youth to some of the continent’s crème de la crème. The project was initiated in 2011 and gives the youth of Africa the chance to meet with some of the world’s most inspirational leaders, entertainers and role models. Some of the influential people who have featured in the show so far are Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, supermodel Alek Wek and hip hop legend/business mogul Russell Simmons.  Still to feature in the current series are international footballer Emmanuel Adebayor from Togo (29 August) and Archbishop Desmond Tutu (5 September).Gwamaka won after entering the SMS competition organised by MTV and MTN in Rwanda."I am ecstatic because I am an ambassador for the youth and I will be among the few who will interview Akon. I will carry my Rwandan flag and I will without doubt represent the country well,” Gwamaka said. According to Sakyi Opoku, the Senior Manager of Branding and Sponsorship, Gwamaka being a leader of the youth in Rwanda and an innovator suits well with MTN Rwanda’s brand values."At MTN we believe in innovation and the ability to do things that positively impact other people’s lives. We are positive that his trip to the US, to meet a personality that has an inspirational story to share with the youth in Rwanda and Africa at large, will be an inspiration to others,” Opoku said. Gwamaka will also take home a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and a Samsung Galaxy SII Smartphone as part of his prize. Details of Gwamaka’s trip will feature in MTV Base Meets Akon with MTN to be shown on MTV Base (DStv Channel 322) on Wednesday 26 September 2012 and on Rwanda TV on Thursday 27th September.