‘Educating Linda’ programme making progress
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 programme is in partnership with the Ambassador of ‘More Than a Mother’, Madame Monica Geingos.
‘Educating Linda’ is a pan-African programme 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,” stated 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. Girls’ education is not a luxury,” she emphasized.
UNICEF statistics show 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.
The 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 with scholarships and grants to cover school fees, uniforms and other essentials like notebooks, pens and mathematical instruments, so they can continue their education.
