HARARE — Merck Foundation and First Lady Mark Seven-Year Partnership, Celebrate 166 Scholarships for Zimbabwean Doctors
Merck Foundation and Zimbabwe’s First Lady, Amai Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa, have celebrated seven years of partnership marked by extensive investment in healthcare training, support for infertile women, and initiatives promoting girls’ education. The milestone was commemorated at the 2025 Merck Foundation Zimbabwe Alumni Summit and Awards Ceremony held in Harare on Thursday.
The event was co-chaired by the First Lady, Merck Foundation Board of Trustees Chairman Prof. Dr Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, and Merck Foundation CEO Senator (Ret.) Dr Rasha Kelej. The organisation announced that it has awarded 166 medical scholarships to Zimbabwean doctors since 2018 across 44 critical and underserved specialties, including oncology, diabetes, cardiology, fertility care, psychiatry, respiratory medicine and critical care.
Dr Kelej praised the First Lady’s role as Ambassador of the “Merck Foundation More Than a Mother” campaign, highlighting her contribution to breaking infertility stigma and expanding access to specialised medical training.
“It is an honour to celebrate our seven-year partnership and reflect on our achievements,” she said. “Providing 166 scholarships in critical specialties has transformed Zimbabwe’s patient-care landscape. This is a major milestone in strengthening the public health system.”
Prof. Stangenberg-Haverkamp reaffirmed Merck Foundation’s commitment to building healthcare capacity across Africa, Asia and other developing regions through long-term training programmes.
The First Lady commended the partnership for its tangible impact on Zimbabwe’s health sector and social programmes.
“Merck Foundation has provided 166 scholarships for our young doctors in vital specialties, and together we are also supporting the education of 40 underprivileged high-performing girls under the Educating Linda programme. This is history in the making,” she said.
Since its inception, Merck Foundation has awarded more than 2,400 scholarships to healthcare providers from 52 countries.
During the Harare summit, 13 Zimbabwean journalists and creatives were honoured as winners of the Merck Foundation Media, Song, Film and Fashion Awards for 2022–2024. The foundation has recognised more than 60 Zimbabwean award winners since 2017.
Beneficiaries of the Educating Linda programme also attended the event and shared testimony on how the scholarships had changed their lives.
To promote awareness of social and health issues among children, Merck Foundation and the First Lady have jointly launched eight children’s storybooks, including More Than a Mother, Educating Rujeko, Jackline’s Rescue, and Sugar-Free Jude. Thousands of copies have already been distributed in schools nationwide.
Merck Foundation has also conducted six editions of Health Media Training in Zimbabwe to empower journalists to report on sensitive issues such as infertility stigma, gender-based violence, child marriage, female genital mutilation, and the prevention of diabetes and hypertension.
The organisation additionally announced the call for submissions for its 2026 Media, Film, Fashion and Song Awards, which recognise work addressing infertility stigma, girls’ education, women’s empowerment, child protection, and lifestyle diseases. Submission deadlines fall between September and October 2026.
