Rasha Kelej Highlights Power of Art, Fashion, Media in Driving Social Change Across Africa
Rasha Kelej Highlights Power of Art, Fashion, Media in Driving Social Change Across Africa
Rasha Kelej Highlights Power of Art, Fashion, Media in Driving Social Change Across Africa
The Chief Executive Officer of the Merck Foundation, Dr. Rasha Kelej, has emphasized the transformative role of art, fashion and media in raising awareness and addressing critical social and health challenges across communities in Africa.
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Speaking on the Foundation’s vision, Dr. Kelej stated that art and fashion go far beyond aesthetics or entertainment, serving instead as powerful tools for education, advocacy and long-term cultural change. According to her, creative platforms can effectively spark conversations, challenge harmful norms and inspire positive action within societies.
She disclosed that this philosophy inspired the launch of several initiatives by the Merck Foundation, including its first-ever pan-African television programme, Our Africa by Merck Foundation. The programme, she explained, uniquely highlights pressing social and health issues across the continent through the voices of the Foundation’s “Fashion and Art with Purpose” community.
Dr. Kelej noted that through the television programme and other innovative initiatives, the Merck Foundation continues to raise awareness on a wide range of issues, including breaking the stigma around infertility, supporting girl education, ending child marriage and female genital mutilation, stopping gender-based violence, and promoting women’s empowerment.
She added that the Foundation also uses these platforms to educate communities on critical health concerns such as diabetes, hypertension and other non-communicable diseases.
According to Dr. Kelej, combining creativity with advocacy remains a powerful strategy for influencing mindsets and fostering sustainable development, stressing that meaningful cultural change begins with awareness and informed dialogue.
Rasha Kelej Highlights Power of Art, Fashion, Media in Driving Social Change Across Africa
