Over 700 girls drawn from about 11 African countries, including Nigeria, have benefitted from the Merck Foundation’s “Educating Linda” scholarship programme, given in partnership with First Ladies from African countries to continue their education with many more empowered with learning materials.
Chief Executive Officer of the Merck Foundation, Rasha Kelej, noted that together with the first ladies, it has been a 13-year legacy of empowering women and girls, transforming lives across Africa from breaking the stigma around infertility to advancing education and healthcare.
Commemorating the 2025 International Women’s Day, Kelej, who reaffirmed her commitment together with the First Ladies to empowering women and girls through impactful development programmes, noted that education is one of the most critical areas of women empowerment.
She said, “Happy International Women’s Day to all the remarkable women and girls around the world! Empowering girls and women is at the core of all our initiatives and programmes at the Merck Foundation.
“I am happy to share that through our Educating Linda Programme, together with my dear sisters, our Ambassadors, we are contributing to the future of over 700 girls by providing scholarships to continue their education and also providing essential school items for thousands of schoolgirls in many African countries such as Botswana, Burundi, Malawi, The Gambia, Nigeria, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Namibia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cabo Verde and more.
” I recognize the immense potential of women to thrive, succeed and excel in any domain they choose, yet they often lack the conducive environment to fully realize their capabilities, especially in underserved communities.
“Therefore, together with our Ambassadors, The First Ladies of Africa, we mark International Women’s Day every day since the last 13 years through our development programmes and initiatives such as More Than a Mother, Merck Foundation Capacity Advancement, Educating Linda and STEM Programme.
“Merck Foundation More Than a Mother is a strong movement that aims to empower infertile and childless women through access to information, education and change of mindset.
“I am thrilled to share that out of the 2,230 scholarships awarded across 52 countries in 44 critical and underserved specialties, 1046 scholarships, that is nearly 50% have been granted to female medical graduates, empowering them to become future healthcare experts and leaders.
“I am especially proud that we have awarded over 680 scholarships to young doctors dedicated to advancing women’s health by strengthening reproductive, sexual health, and fertility care capacity.
“Moreover, we have benefitted thousands of girls through our awareness campaign through many initiates like the release of inspiring songs, children’s storybooks, animation films, TV Programmes and awards for best media, song, film & fashion designs, all aimed at Merck Foundation also actively empowers women in Science and Technology through its STEM Programme and the annual Merck Foundation Africa Research Summit (MARS) Awards that recognize and celebrate the Best African Women Researchers and Best Young African Researchers, fostering research excellence.
“Our goal is to empower women and young African researchers, enhance their research
capacity, and promote their contributions to STEM,” Kelej emphasized.
