The Merck Foundation Educating Linda Programme has supported the education of 1000 high-performing girls from various countries, said Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelei founder of the Merck Foundation, when she shared the full report of the programme.
She said the program is in partnership with the Ambassador of ‘More Than a Mother’, Monica Geingos.
She said, ‘Educating Linda’, is a pan-African program that is tailored for each country to contribute to the future of young African girls who are brilliant but underprivileged. “The spirit of the project is to provide an opportunity for such girls to pursue their dreams and reach their potential through access to education,” added Dr. Keleji.
She said they strongly believe that education is one of the most critical areas of women’s empowerment. “It is also an area that represents some of the distinct examples of discrimination women suffer. It is also an area that represents some of the distinct examples of discrimination women suffer. Girls’ education is not a luxury,” she emphasized.
She highlighted that UNICEF’s declaration stated that in Africa, among children not attending school there are twice as many girls as boys, and among illiterate adults, there are twice as many women as men. “Studies have also shown that, in areas where there is high poverty and decades of conflict, girls face enormous challenges that limit their ability to get the education they deserve,” she said.
Merck Foundation has helped girls in Burundi, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, The Gambia, Liberia, Malawi, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Zambia, and Zimbabwe by providing scholarships and grants that can cover school fees, school uniforms and other essentials including notebooks, pens and mathematical instruments, so they can continue with their education.
Leave a Reply