Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation (www.Merck-Foundation.com), has been featured by a leading lifestyle media organization, Vogue India (http://apo-opa.co/45tQQm5). The article, titled "Leading with Courage and Conviction: Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej on empowering women, advancing healthcare, and transforming media in Africa," highlights the unique approach she adapted by engaging the art, fashion, and media communities to address critical social issues such as Infertility Stigma, Supporting Girl Education, Ending Gender-Based Violence (GBV) & Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), Child marriage and also health issues like Diabetes & Hypertension Awareness.

On being featured by Vogue India, Dr Kelej shared, “I have been a long-time Vogue reader, and I am truly delighted to be featured by Vogue India for my creative approach to driving social change. Africa is a continent full of vibrant culture, colour, and creativity, and I’ve always believed that fashion, art, and media can be powerful instruments to inspire positive change—beyond just entertainment.

This belief led me to develop innovative initiatives such as Our Africa TV program, Songs, Children’s storybooks, Animation Films, and Awards for the best Media, Song, Film and Fashion Designs. These initiatives are aimed at raising awareness about critical and sensitive social and health issues, in a relatable and impactful way.

I’m proud that this work is being recognized and shared as a meaningful case study with Vogue readers around the world.”

Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej has been recognized as One of 100 Most Influential Africans for six consecutive years from 2019 till 2024. Under her leadership, Merck Foundation has been recognized as the NGO of the Year in 2022 & 2024, the Most Influential NGO Shaping Africa’s Future and also received the ‘Best Health Sector Philanthropy’ Award 2023.

The Vogue article also highlights Dr. Rasha Kelej’s efforts to establish impactful partnership between Merck Foundation and over 28 African First Ladies, showcasing their collective efforts to transform healthcare across Africa and beyond. Merck Foundation has provided over 2,250 scholarships for young doctors from 52 countries in more than 44 critical and underserved medical specialties. The feature also sheds light on the Educating Linda program, which is supporting the education through providing 800 scholarships for high performance and underprivileged African schoolgirls, empowering them to complete their studies and reach their full potential.

Click here to read the full Vogue India article, which offers deeper insights into Dr. Rasha Kelej’s impactful initiatives and the far-reaching work of Merck Foundation across Africa and beyond:

https://apo-opa.co/45tQQm5