Merck More Than A Mother Empowering Mwende
Merck Foundation CEO and President of Merck More Than a Mother, Dr. Rasha Kelej tours Kathema village in Machakos County, a three hour drive in the outskirts of Nairobi.
Jackline Mwende is a victim of gender violence based on infertility. A brutal act from her former husband Stephen Ngila who almost killed her in August 2016 because Mwende failed to give birth after many years in their marriage. In this short video made for empowering both married men and women and more so men to understand and raise awareness of infertility to help curb the social stigma of childlessness.
According to WHO data more than 180 million couples in developing countries suffer from primary or secondary infertility (one in every four couples)
The social stigma of childlessness especially among infertile women still leads to isolation and stigmatization in many cultures.
Merck Foundation through its Merck More Than a Mother initiator Dr. Rasha Kelej is working with Mwende and other stakeholders to develop and implement strategies to improve access to effective, good life for the affected persons.
Eventually, Mwende is now doing well, happier and stronger after Merck Foundation gave her an opportunity to start a new life with her son Zawadi whom she secretly sired with her lover behind her husbands back.
The difficulty associated with infertility is that infertility is only related to women. Although men contribute to about half of all cases of infertility.
May the Good Lord make usmore fertile In sha Allah.