24 Jul 2024

First Lady, Ms Neo Masisi, has applauded the Merck Foundation for offering doctor scholarships, which she said had resulted in improved health outcomes. 

These programmes, among others, were unveiled yesterday. 

Ms Masisi, who is also the Ambassador of the Merck Foundation’s ‘More Than a Mother’ campaign, highlighted that the foundation’s initiatives extend beyond infertility programmes to include health, education, women empowerment, gender-based violence prevention, and health media training programmes. 

“Today, I stand here as the Ambassador of the Merck Foundation’s ‘More Than a Mother’ campaign, an initiative that aims to empower infertile women through access to information and education, while calling for compassion from all of us,” she said. 

She expressed hope that the relationship between Merck Foundation and Botswana would continue to grow, appreciating the Foundation’s contributions from the ground up. 

“You will hear from some of those who benefited from the Meck scholarships, the alumni in particular, and from our beneficiaries,” she said.

She added that through the foundation, Botswana had achieved a lot and was poised to achieve even more, thanking the foundation for being a consistent and reliable partner, even during the pandemic. 

The Minister for State President, Mr Kabo Morwaeng, thanked the First Lady and the foundation for empowering Botswana communities, especially women, adolescents, the youth, and the disadvantaged. 

He also expressed gratitude to the Merck Foundation for helping Botswana communities achieve quality healthcare, education, and life skills for sustainable living. 

Dr Rasha Kelej from the Merck Foundation thanked the First Lady for her passion and dedication to providing the best for Botswana. She noted that even before COVID-19, they had discussions on how to best support women and combat GBV in Botswana. 

Dr Kelej noted that the foundation has provided 45 scholarships for Botswana doctors in specialities such as diabetes and sexual reproductive care.

 She pointed out that the foundation would support the girl education. 

Chairman of Merck Foundation board of Trustees, Prof. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp commended the First Lady’s dedication to helping communities, stating that their investment in Botswana was driven by her commitment to improving lives. ENDS