THANDISIZWE MGUDLWA l Tuesday, August 23, 2022
CAPE TOWN, South Africa – Our Africa by Merck Foundation TV program is our effort to reach out to youth and other members of our African urban and rural communities with the aim to address and raise awareness about a wide range of pressing social and health issues that are relevant to our continent.
“I am very happy that we have received great feedback on our program from Uganda, Kenya, Ghana in addition to the promo and first episodes that been broadcasted in Liberia and Sierra Leone, which was about diabetes and promoting a healthy lifestyle and breaking stigma of infertility and ending child marriage and FGM and GBV.
So, stay tuned to watch more and more of ‘OUR AFRICA by Merck Foundation’ TV Program. Be ready to Get informed, Get healthy, and Get entertained!”, says Dr. Rasha Kelej. Merck Foundation broadcasts “Our Africa” TV Program on LNTV, Liberia, AYV, Sierra Leone and ZNBC, Zambia to address Social and Health issues through African Fashion and Art.
Our Africa by Merck Foundation TV Program now on LNTV, Liberia; AYV, Sierra Leone and ZNBC, Zambia after a huge success on GH One TV, Ghana; NTV, Uganda and KTN, Kenya.
‘Our Africa by Merck Foundation’ is a pan-African TV program that is conceptualized, produced, directed, and co-hosted by Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation to feature African Fashion Designers, Singers, and prominent experts from various domains with the aim to raise awareness and create a culture shift across Africa such as: Diabetes, Ending Child Marriage, Supporting Girl Education, Women Empowerment, Stopping GBV, Ending FGM and Breaking Infertility Stigma, among other social and health issues affecting the continent.
In addition, the Merck Foundation through their “Our Africa” TV program, has established the first ‘Fashion and Art community with Purpose’ community across 20 countries to break the silence and be the voice of the voiceless about many critical and sensitive social and health issues in Africa and beyond.
Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany is broadcasting their TV program – ‘Our Africa by Merck Foundation’ on three prime channels; LNTV in Liberia, AYV Sierra Leone and ZNBC in Zambia.
This first-of-its-kind TV show is set to be the voice of the voiceless and break the silence about many critical and sensitive social and health issues in Africa through ‘Art and Fashion with Purpose’ community. The show is being aired as per the below details:
– Every Saturday @ 6 pm (GMT) on LNTV, Liberia; re-run on Sunday @ 4:30 pm (GMT)- Every Wednesday @ 4:30 pm (GMT) on AYV, Sierra Leone – Time will be done soon for ZNBC, Zambia
‘Our Africa by Merck Foundation’ is a pan-African TV program that is conceptualized, produced, directed, and co-hosted by Dr. Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation to feature African Fashion Designers, Singers, and prominent experts from various domains with the aim to raise awareness and create a culture shift across Africa. The show is co-hosted by Brian Mulondo from Uganda.
In expressing her excitement about the launch of “Our Africa by Merck Foundation” TV program, Dr. Kelej, explained, “I am extremely happy and proud to present our new and unique program “Our Africa by Merck Foundation’ in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Zambia. I strongly believe that fashion and art should have a purpose beyond entertainment and looking good. They can contribute to sensitizing our communities about different social and health issues such as ending FGM, ending child marriage, stopping GBV, breaking the Infertility stigma, supporting Girl Education, Diabetes awareness and healthy lifestyle, and more. Hence, I came up with the idea of this beneficial yet entertaining TV program”.
The show has been already broadcasted on prime TV Channels like KTN in Kenya, NTV in Uganda and is currently also being broadcast on GH One TV in Ghana, every Sunday @ 2 pm on repeated on every Monday @ 1:30 pm (GMT).
“The TV Program has been very well received and the TV viewers and social media followers across Africa and beyond have been sharing an outstanding response to the TV program and the issues highlighted in every episode. I am sure that the viewers from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Zambia will also like and benefit from our informative yet entertaining TV Program.
“We will discuss and address various social and health issues relevant to Africa in a very unique way through our African Community of Fashion and Art with Purpose. It will be a first-of-its-kind interactive show, which will feature talented Fashion designers and Singers who sensitize communities through those creative work across Africa”, Dr. Kelej added.
The TV Program will be addressing various topics like the Importance of early detection & prevention of Diabetes, Breaking Infertility Stigma, Stopping Child Marriage, Promoting a Healthy Lifestyle, Supporting Girls’ Education, Ending Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), Coronavirus Health Awareness, Stopping Gender Based Violence, Women Empowerment and Sustainability and up-cycled fashion and more.
Moreover, the Merck Foundation together with their partner African First Ladies have also announced Call for Applications for two themes of Awards for Media, Fashion Designers, Filmmakers, Musicians/ Singers, and new potential talents in these fields from African countries. The themes of the two categories of awards are – 1) Breaking Infertility Stigma, Support Girls’ Education, End Child Marriage, End FGM, Stopping GBV and/ or Women Empowerment at all levels, and 2) Promote a healthy lifestyle and raise awareness about prevention and early detection of Diabetes and Hypertension.
Further, the Merck Foundation in partnership with African First Ladies has also released over 10 inspiring children’s storybooks and over 25 songs on breaking infertility stigma, supporting girls’ education, and women empowerment, in English, French and Portuguese language.
