Don’t leave and help build Ghana — First Lady appeals to youth
The First Lady, Lordina Mahama has appealed to health professionals and skilled young people to stay in Ghana and help build the country instead of seeking opportunities abroad. She said this at the Merck Foundation Summit and Awards ceremony held in Accra yesterday, where she was made an Ambassador “More than a Mother campaign”. First … The post Don’t leave and help build Ghana — First Lady appeals to youth appeared first on Ghanaian Times.
Black News 
The First Lady, Lordina Mahama has appealed to health professionals and skilled young people to stay in Ghana and help build the country instead of seeking opportunities abroad.
She said this at the Merck Foundation Summit and Awards ceremony held in Accra yesterday, where she was made an Ambassador “More than a Mother campaign”.
Mrs Mahama said Ghana needed the knowledge and skills of its trained professionals to improve healthcare, education and national development.
“I know the world is wide, and the temptation to seek greener pastures abroad is strong, but I would like to ask you, from a mother’s heart: if you leave, who is going to heal our sick? Who will teach our kids? Who will tell our stories?” she said.
The event honoured outstanding media practitioners, health professionals and fashion designers for their contributions to healthcare awareness and social development.
Mrs Mahama said the country could only move forward if its citizens worked together and used their talents to support communities.
She noted that the Lordina Foundation was established to support vulnerable people, especially women and children, through healthcare, education and economic empowerment programmes.
According to her, the Foundation’s partnership with Merck Foundation had helped transform many lives across the country.
She said more than 40 medical professionals had received scholarships to pursue specialised training, while over 110 young people had been trained in the arts and ICT.
Mrs Mahama also said 40 girls had benefited from the Educating Linda programme, which supports students with school fees, uniforms and learning materials.
She added that journalists had also received training on reporting issues such as diabetes and gender-based violence to help improve public understanding and awareness.
The First Lady said the summit was not only about statistics but also about the real stories behind the lives being changed.
“It is about the doctor who returned home to save lives outside Accra. It is about the journalist who writes with an understanding of maternal health,” she said.
It is about the young Linda scholarship recipient who now sees herself as a future leader,” she stated.
Mrs Mahama said the work of the Foundation supported the government’s development plans under President John Dramani Mahama, including the Free Primary Healthcare initiative and the 24-Hour Economy policy.
She also accepted her appointment as Ambassador for the ‘More Than a Mother’ campaign, which seeks to end stigma against women facing infertility challenges.
She said infertility remained a painful social burden for many women and called for more compassion and support for affected families.
“The More Than a Mother campaign is about breaking that silence. It is about telling every woman that her value is not defined by the challenges she faces, but by her humanity, strength and spirit,” she said.
Chief Executive Officer of Merck Foundation, Rasha Kelej, praised all the award winners for their dedication and hard work.
She assured beneficiaries that the Foundation would continue supporting healthcare, education and community development programmes aimed at improving lives across Africa.
BY AGNES OPOKU SARPONG
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The post Don’t leave and help build Ghana — First Lady appeals to youth appeared first on Ghanaian Times.
