Namibians scoop Merck awards

Namibian journalists Charlotte Nambadja, Sonja Smith, Maria Kandjungu and Rosalia Hipondoka have been recognised for their work at the 2023 Merck Foundation Africa Media Recognition Awards for their contributions to the foundation&#039;s &#039;More Than a Mother&#039; and &#039;Diabetes & Hypertension&#039; campaigns.Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, announced the winners from Namibia as well as the rest of Africa, in partnership with African First Ladies, who serve as ambassadors of the Merck Foundation.Nambadja (Desert Radio) took first place in the radio category, while Smith (The Namibian) won third spot in the print category for their &#039;More Than a Mother&#039; campaign. For their work in the &#039;Diabetes & Hypertension&#039; initiative, Kandjungu (Unwrap Online) won first place in the online category, while Hipondoka (DBS Blogposts) took third spot in the same category.The winners were announced and acknowledged by Senator Dr Rasha Kelej, CEO of the Merck Foundation and president of the More Than a Mother campaign.The theme of the More Than a Mother initiative aimed to raise awareness of social issues including breaking the stigma of infertility, supporting girl education, women empowerment, ending child marriage, ending FGM, and/or stopping GBV at all levels, while the Diabetes and Hypertension campaign focused on promoting a healthy lifestyle and raising awareness about the prevention and early detection of diabetes and hypertension in African countries.ChampionsKelej said: “I am excited to announce the winners from Namibia and the rest of Africa. We have 83 winners from 22 African countries in partnership with the First Ladies of Africa and ambassadors of the Merck Foundation."Kelej said the media awards were launched in 2017, and year after year, they witnessed a substantial increase in the number of outstanding entries from African countries.“All our winners are the champions of critical and sensitive social and health issues in their communities. It&#039;s truly inspiring to witness how we&#039;re actively involving and engaging everyone, enabling them to be the voice of the voiceless and create a culture shift,” Kelej said.As a bonus, Merck Foundation is rewarding the winners by providing them with one-year access to an online educational training MasterClass, which is an immersive online experience and self-paced learning course that can be accessed anywhere that has internet connectivity.“I would also like to announce the call for applications for the Merck Foundation Africa Media Recognition Awards for More Than a Mother and Diabetes and Hypertension for 2024," Kelej concluded.

Namibians scoop Merck awards

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Namibian Sun 2025-06-23

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Namibians scoop Merck awards

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Namibian Sun 2025-06-23

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