Extracted Insight:
- Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, declared Ghana First Lady H.E. Mrs. Lordina Dramani Mahama as the Ambassador of the “More Than a Mother” campaign.
- The foundation officially launched the Educating Linda program in Ghana in partnership with the First Lady’s office and the Lordina Foundation.
- The Educating Linda program will provide annual scholarships to 40 high‑performing yet under‑privileged Ghanaian schoolgirls until they complete their education, removing financial barriers.
- In parallel, Merck Foundation awarded 257 scholarships to Ghanaian healthcare providers covering 44 critical and underserved specialties, including fertility, reproductive care, women’s health, diabetes, oncology, emergency medicine, neurology, pediatrics, and many others.
- Across Africa, the Educating Linda initiative has provided more than 1,500 annual scholarships for schoolgirls in 21 countries (Botswana, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, DRC, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritius, Namibia, Nigeria, São Tomé and Príncipe, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe, etc.).
- The program also supplies essential school materials to thousands of girls, removing practical obstacles to education.
- Merck Foundation launched seven children’s storybooks (“More Than a Mother”, “Educating Linda”, “Jackline's Rescue”, “Not Who You Are”, “Ride into the Future”, “Sugar Free Jude”, “Mark's Pressure”, “Ray of Hope”) and distributed thousands of copies to schoolchildren across Ghana.
- The foundation and the First Lady annually present eight awards recognizing media, film, fashion, and song contributions on social and health issues; 127 Ghanaian winners have been celebrated to date.
- An Online Merck Foundation Health Media Training Program is run each year to equip Ghanaian journalists on topics such as infertility, child marriage, gender‑based violence, diabetes, and hypertension.
- During the visit, Merck Foundation held its Alumni Summit 2026, acknowledging past scholarship recipients and awarding Merck Foundation Awards Winners of 2024 and 2025.
- Detailed award calls for submissions include:
1. Media, Film, Fashion, Song Awards “More Than a Mother” – deadline 30 September 2026.
2. Media Recognition, Film, Fashion, Song Awards “Diabetes & Hypertension” – deadline 30 October 2026.
Applications are to be submitted via email to submit@merck-foundation.com.