The Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of German multinational Merck KGaA, has named First Lady Mrs Lordina Dramani Mahama as its Ambassador, recognising ten years of work through her Lordina Foundation that has touched thousands of lives across Ghana.
The honour was presented jointly by Merck Foundation Chief Executive Officer Dr Rasha Kelej and Professor Dr Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, Chairman of the Merck Foundation Board of Trustees, at the Merck Foundation Ghana Alumni Summit 2026, held at the Kempinski Hotel in Accra on Tuesday.
Dr Kelej said Mrs Mahama’s humanitarian work had transformed lives across the country through education, health support, and financial empowerment for women and vulnerable communities. She pointed to the Lordina Foundation’s long-standing partnership with the Merck Foundation as one that had produced real and lasting results on the ground.
Among the outcomes of that partnership, 40 Ghanaian medical professionals have received scholarships that enabled them to specialise and return home to provide advanced care to patients. More than 110 people have also benefitted from training in creative arts and information technology.
The First Lady was also commended for her role in championing girls’ education through the “More Than a Mother” campaign and the “Educating Linda” programme, and for her active work against child marriage. These efforts, Dr Kelej said, had lifted families out of poverty and opened doors for children who might otherwise have had none.
Mrs Mahama was additionally recognised for her support of the annual Merck Foundation Media Recognition Awards, which empower journalists across Africa and Asia to shift public narratives on infertility stigma and women’s empowerment.
Responding to the honour, the First Lady said the testimonies of those who had gone through the Merck Foundation programmes were what drove her continued commitment to the work.
“My heart is truly grateful as I listen to the testimonies of the Merck Foundation Alumni. Their achievements offer hope that, with dedication, no one will be left behind,” she said.
She described the foundation’s work as reaching into the heart of communities, from grandmothers in villages needing healthcare to young girls dreaming of a classroom and women seeking financial independence.
“It is about a doctor who returned home to save lives. It is about the journalists who write with an understanding of maternal health. It is about the scholarship recipient who now sees herself as a future leader,” she said, adding that the work aligned with the broader vision of the government under President John Dramani Mahama.
Mrs Mahama pledged her lifelong commitment to the partnership with the Merck Foundation as she accepted the recognition.
Richard Aniagyei, ISD
