{"id":8215,"date":"2026-01-07T13:01:21","date_gmt":"2026-01-07T09:01:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/?p=8215"},"modified":"2026-04-22T13:28:59","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T09:28:59","slug":"message-from-ceo-of-merck-foundation-dr-rasha-kelej-on-meeting-with-the-first-lady-of-central-african-republic-during-the-12th-edition-of-merck-foundation-africa-asia-luminary-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/?p=8215","title":{"rendered":"Message from CEO of Merck Foundation, Dr. Rasha Kelej on meeting with The First Lady of Central African Republic during the 12th Edition of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1_-Main_Dr_-Rasha-Kelej-CEO-of-Merck-Foundation-and-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia_-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8216\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1_-Main_Dr_-Rasha-Kelej-CEO-of-Merck-Foundation-and-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia_-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1_-Main_Dr_-Rasha-Kelej-CEO-of-Merck-Foundation-and-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia_-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1_-Main_Dr_-Rasha-Kelej-CEO-of-Merck-Foundation-and-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia_-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1_-Main_Dr_-Rasha-Kelej-CEO-of-Merck-Foundation-and-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia_-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1_-Main_Dr_-Rasha-Kelej-CEO-of-Merck-Foundation-and-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia_-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1_-Main_Dr_-Rasha-Kelej-CEO-of-Merck-Foundation-and-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia_.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><p>I am proud to share that werecently conducted the\u00a0<strong>12<sup>th<\/sup>\u00a0Edition<\/strong>\u00a0of our annual conference,\u00a0<strong>\u201cMerck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary\u201d<\/strong>, in partnership with the Government of The Gambia. The conference was co-chaired by\u00a0<strong>H.E. Mrs. FATOUMATTA BAH-BARROW, The First Lady of Gambia<\/strong>\u00a0&amp;\u00a0<strong>Ambassador of Merck Foundation More Than a Mother<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0<strong>Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation<\/strong>\u00a0<strong>&amp; President of More Than a Mother<\/strong>.\u00a0<strong>The First Lady of Central Africa, H.E. Madam BRIGITTE TOUADERA,\u00a0<\/strong>along with\u00a0<strong>The First Ladies of Burundi, Liberia, Nigeria, S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 and Pr\u00edncipe and Senegal\u00a0<\/strong>joinedasthe\u00a0<strong>Guests of Honor<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0<strong>Keynote Speakers.<\/strong><\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8217\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/3_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-2-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8218\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/3_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-2-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/3_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/3_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/3_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/3_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-2-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/3_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-2.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><p>I am very happy to meet my dear sister,&nbsp;<strong>H.E. Madam BRIGITTE TOUADERA, First Lady of Central Africa<\/strong>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<strong>Ambassador of Merck Foundation \u201cMore Than a Mother\u201d<\/strong>&nbsp;to the&nbsp;<strong>12th Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary 2025<\/strong>. Our long-term partnership began in 2015, and since then, we have achieved great milestones together. We have provided scholarships for young doctors from CAR in Oncology and Diabetes.<\/p><p>As a part of our Merck Foundation\u2019s Education Linda program, we are providing annual scholarships to&nbsp;<strong>40 bright yet under-privileged schoolgirls,&nbsp;<\/strong>to enable them to complete their education, and reach their full potential.\u201d<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/5-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8219\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/5-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/5-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/5-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/5-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/5-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/5-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/6_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8220\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/6_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/6_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/6_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/6_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/6_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/6_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Watch the Speech of The First Lady of Central Africa &amp; Ambassador of Merck Foundation More Than a Mother during the Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary 2025 here:<\/strong><\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"ast-oembed-container \" style=\"height: 100%;\"><iframe title=\"H.E. First Lady of C.A.R speech @ 12th Edition of the Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary 2025\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/XYydExzfZ0Y?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure><p class=\"has-text-align-center\">Watch the video of&nbsp;<strong>Merck Foundation CEO, Dr. Rasha Kelej&nbsp;<\/strong>receiving&nbsp;<strong>H.E. Madam BRIGITTE TOUADERA, First Lady of Central Africa &amp; Ambassador of Merck Foundation \u201cMore Than a Mother\u201d<\/strong><strong>:&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"ast-oembed-container \" style=\"height: 100%;\"><iframe title=\"Central Africa First Lady @ Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary in Banjul, The Gambia, 2025\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/e3eGFyg48fo?start=4&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure><p>On Day 1 of the conference, the Plenary Session of the\u00a0<strong>Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary 2025<\/strong>\u00a0took place, featuring\u00a0<strong>keynote speeches of\u00a0First Ladies of Africa<\/strong>. Moreover, a high-level ministerial panel\u00a0discussion was also held with African Ministers to discuss the Merck Foundation African Research Summit MARS strategy to build scientific research capacity and empower women in STEM with special focus on scientific research.\u00a0<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/7_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8221\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/7_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/7_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/7_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/7_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/7_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/7_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/9_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8222\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/9_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/9_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/9_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/9_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/9_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/9_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><p>On Day 2 of the conference,&nbsp;<strong>Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative- MFFLI committee meeting<\/strong>&nbsp;was conducted between&nbsp;<strong>The First Ladies of Africa and Merck Foundation Chairman and CEO<\/strong>, where the&nbsp;<strong>African First Ladies<\/strong>&nbsp;shared the impact report of Merck Foundation programs in their respective countries, and future strategy was discussed.<\/p><p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><\/p><p><strong>In partnership\u00a0<\/strong>with\u00a0<strong>The First Lady of Central Africa\u00a0<\/strong>we havealso announced the Call for applications for their\u00a0<strong>8 important awards<\/strong>\u00a0for Media Representatives, Musicians, Fashion Designers, Filmmakers, students, and new potential talents in these fields. The aim of awards is to encourage young talents and youth in Central Africa to create and convey messages in their art and daily work to create awareness about sensitive issues like Break Infertility Stigma, Support Girl Education, Stop Gender Based Violence, End Child Marriage, End FGM, and Women Empowerment at all levels and raise awareness about early detection &amp; prevention of Diabetes &amp; Hypertension.<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/10_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8223\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/10_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/10_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/10_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/10_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/10_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/10_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/13_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8224\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/13_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/13_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/13_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/13_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/13_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/13_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><p>Moreover,&nbsp;<strong>Merck Foundation<\/strong>&nbsp;together with the office of&nbsp;<strong>The First Lady of Central Africa,&nbsp;<\/strong>has also conducted 4 editions of their<strong>&nbsp;Online Health Media Training&nbsp;<\/strong>to encourage media to be the voice of the voiceless and raise awareness. We have also&nbsp;released seven storybooks to address the social and health issues among children from a young age, nurturing a culture of awareness and empathy. Moreover, these storybooks have been adapted into very interesting animation films, to raise awareness among both the youth and adults.<\/p><p>The 12th Edition of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary 2025 was streamed live across all our social media platforms, enabling thousands of participants from over 70 countries to join our discussions, amplify our impact, and celebrate the spirit of partnership and progress.<\/p><p><strong>Kind Regards,<\/strong><br><strong>Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej (Ret.)<\/strong><br><strong>CEO of Merck Foundation<\/strong><\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/14_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/14_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/14_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/14_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/14_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/14_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/14_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"717\" src=\"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/15_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-1024x717.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8226\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/15_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-1024x717.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/15_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-300x210.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/15_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-768x538.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/15_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-1536x1075.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/15_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia-600x420.jpg 600w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/15_-Merck-Foundation-CEO-Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-The-First-Lady-of-Central-Africa-H_E_-Madam-BRIGITTE-TOUADERA-during-the-12th-Edition-of-our-Luminary-in-The-Gambia.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_8382-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8227\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_8382-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_8382-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_8382-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_8382-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_8382-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_8382.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I am proud to share that werecently conducted the\u00a012th\u00a0Edition\u00a0of our annual conference,\u00a0\u201cMerck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary\u201d, in partnership with the Government of The Gambia. The conference was co-chaired by\u00a0H.E. Mrs. FATOUMATTA BAH-BARROW, The First Lady of Gambia\u00a0&amp;\u00a0Ambassador of Merck Foundation More Than a Mother\u00a0and\u00a0Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation\u00a0&amp; President of More Than a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8216,"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-8215","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 CEO of Merck Foundation, Dr. Rasha Kelej on meeting with The First Lady of Central African Republic during the 12th Edition of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary 2025 | 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=8215\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Message from CEO of Merck Foundation, Dr. Rasha Kelej on meeting with The First Lady of Central African Republic during the 12th Edition of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary 2025 | Rasha Kelej\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"I am proud to share that werecently conducted the\u00a012th\u00a0Edition\u00a0of our annual conference,\u00a0\u201cMerck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary\u201d, in partnership with the Government of The Gambia. The conference was co-chaired by\u00a0H.E. 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