{"id":8192,"date":"2026-02-11T11:49:58","date_gmt":"2026-02-11T07:49:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/?p=8192"},"modified":"2026-04-22T13:02:40","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T09:02:40","slug":"message-from-merck-foundation-ceo-dr-rasha-kelej-on-being-recognized-as-one-of-the-100-most-influential-african-women-alongside-tanzania-and-namibia-presidents-by-avance-media-for-the-7th-consecutiv","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/?p=8192","title":{"rendered":"Message from Merck Foundation CEO Dr. Rasha Kelej on being Recognized as One of the 100 Most Influential African Women alongside Tanzania and Namibia Presidents, by Avance Media for the 7th Consecutive Year"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-02-11-at-11_03_141-1024x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8193\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-02-11-at-11_03_141-1024x1024.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-02-11-at-11_03_141-300x300.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-02-11-at-11_03_141-150x150.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-02-11-at-11_03_141-768x768.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-02-11-at-11_03_141-600x600.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-02-11-at-11_03_141-100x100.jpeg 100w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-02-11-at-11_03_141.jpeg 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><p>I am deeply honored to be recognized as one of the&nbsp;<strong><em>100 Most Influential African Women&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong>for the&nbsp;<strong>seventh consecutive year.<\/strong>&nbsp;It is a privilege to be named alongside Africa\u2019s esteemed leaders, including the Presidents of Tanzania and Namibia, and so many inspiring change-makers.&nbsp;Congratulations to all the remarkable women recognized this year.<\/p><p>It is especially heartwarming that this recognition comes shortly after being named one of the&nbsp;<strong>100 Most Influential Africans 2025<\/strong>&nbsp;by&nbsp;<strong>New African Magazine (UK)<\/strong>.<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-02-11-at-18_38_01-1-1024x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8194\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-02-11-at-18_38_01-1-1024x1024.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-02-11-at-18_38_01-1-300x300.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-02-11-at-18_38_01-1-150x150.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-02-11-at-18_38_01-1-768x768.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-02-11-at-18_38_01-1-600x600.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-02-11-at-18_38_01-1-100x100.jpeg 100w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-02-11-at-18_38_01-1.jpeg 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><p>I am grateful for this recognition, which acknowledges Merck Foundation\u2019s unwavering commitment to building healthcare capacity, transforming patient care landscape with a strong focus on women\u2019s health, empowering infertile women in particular and women in general, and supporting girl education.<\/p><p>Over the past 13 years, I haveworked closely with more than&nbsp;<strong>33 African and Asian First Ladies as Ambassadors of Merck Foundation \u201cMore Than a Mother\u201d<\/strong>&nbsp;in their countries, to lead our programs to build healthcare capacity, break infertility stigma and support girl education.<\/p><p>I am delighted to share that we have provided&nbsp;<strong>2500 scholarships<\/strong>&nbsp;<strong>for healthcare providers from 52 countries, across 44 critical and underserved medical specialties<\/strong>.&nbsp;I am proud that many of our alumni have become, or are on their way to becoming, the first specialists in their respective countries. We are creating a history.<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-02-11-at-11_02_12-1024x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8195\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-02-11-at-11_02_12-1024x1024.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-02-11-at-11_02_12-300x300.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-02-11-at-11_02_12-150x150.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-02-11-at-11_02_12-768x768.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-02-11-at-11_02_12-600x600.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-02-11-at-11_02_12-100x100.jpeg 100w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-02-11-at-11_02_12.jpeg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><p>Moreover, out of the total 2500+ scholarships,&nbsp;nearly&nbsp;<strong>1200 have been provided to women healthcare professionals<\/strong>, reflecting our commitment to empower women in healthcare.<\/p><p>Through our&nbsp;<strong>\u201cEducating Linda\u201d Program<\/strong>, in partnership with&nbsp;<strong>African and Asian First Ladies<\/strong>, we are providing more than 1200 annual scholarships to deserving yet underprivileged African schoolgirls from 19 countries, enabling them to complete their studies and achieve their full potential.<\/p><p>This honor further motivates us to build a lasting legacy of impact and change across Africa for generations to come.<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Artwork-required-for-100-Most-Influential-African-Women-Announcement_-2025-Cards-01_jpg-1-1-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8196\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Artwork-required-for-100-Most-Influential-African-Women-Announcement_-2025-Cards-01_jpg-1-1-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Artwork-required-for-100-Most-Influential-African-Women-Announcement_-2025-Cards-01_jpg-1-1-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Artwork-required-for-100-Most-Influential-African-Women-Announcement_-2025-Cards-01_jpg-1-1-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Artwork-required-for-100-Most-Influential-African-Women-Announcement_-2025-Cards-01_jpg-1-1-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Artwork-required-for-100-Most-Influential-African-Women-Announcement_-2025-Cards-01_jpg-1-1-600x600.jpg 600w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Artwork-required-for-100-Most-Influential-African-Women-Announcement_-2025-Cards-01_jpg-1-1-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Artwork-required-for-100-Most-Influential-African-Women-Announcement_-2025-Cards-01_jpg-1-1.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><p><strong>Kind Regards,<\/strong><br><strong>Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej\u00a0(Ret.)<\/strong><br><strong>CEO of Merck Foundation<br>President of\u00a0\u201cMore Than a Mother\u201d<\/strong><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I am deeply honored to be recognized as one of the&nbsp;100 Most Influential African Women&nbsp;for the&nbsp;seventh consecutive year.&nbsp;It is a privilege to be named alongside Africa\u2019s esteemed leaders, including the Presidents of Tanzania and Namibia, and so many inspiring change-makers.&nbsp;Congratulations to all the remarkable women recognized this year. It is especially heartwarming that this recognition [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8193,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8192","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-message"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Message from Merck Foundation CEO Dr. Rasha Kelej on being Recognized as One of the 100 Most Influential African Women alongside Tanzania and Namibia Presidents, by Avance Media for the 7th Consecutive Year | Rasha Kelej<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/?p=8192\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Message from Merck Foundation CEO Dr. Rasha Kelej on being Recognized as One of the 100 Most Influential African Women alongside Tanzania and Namibia Presidents, by Avance Media for the 7th Consecutive Year | Rasha Kelej\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"I am deeply honored to be recognized as one of the&nbsp;100 Most Influential African Women&nbsp;for the&nbsp;seventh consecutive year.&nbsp;It is a privilege to be named alongside Africa\u2019s esteemed leaders, including the Presidents of Tanzania and Namibia, and so many inspiring change-makers.&nbsp;Congratulations to all the remarkable women recognized this year. 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