Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation, has launched “Beyond Power; Leadership, Global Influence and Impact”, her first virtual Mentorship and Leadership Platform through Substack, creating an accessible resource designed to inspire, guide, and support future leaders, particularly women and young future leaders. The platform is accessible to all, ensuring that aspiring leaders from diverse backgrounds can access valuable mentorship, leadership insights, and practical guidance.

Through the Mentorship and Leadership Platform, Dr. Rasha Kelej will share her 32 years of knowledge and experience to support and guide aspiring individuals in unlocking their hidden potential, achieving their professional and personal goals, and becoming the leaders of tomorrow.

Link to Dr. Rasha Kelej’s Mentorship and Leadership Platform: https://open.substack.com/pub/rashakelej

To maximize the reach and impact, the articles will be available on her Social Media Channels and website. Links will also be available on Merck Foundation Website and Social Media Channels, which combined reaches more than 9 million followers across various platforms.

Speaking about her new initiative, Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej (Ret.) shared, “Beyond sharing ideas on leadership, influence, and social impact, I see this platform as a mentorship journey. Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to work alongside remarkable leaders across Africa and beyond, and I believe that knowledge and experience become truly valuable when they are shared. Through these articles, I hope to support and inspire future leaders, especially women and young people, to believe in their potential, develop their skills, and lead with integrity, compassion, and courage. This is my contribution to sustainable development and capacity building: investing in people, sharing lessons learned, and helping to create a new generation of leaders who will shape a better future for their communities and countries.”

Dr. Rasha Kelej has been consistently recognized as one of the 100 Most Influential African Women (2019 - Present). She was also recently named One of the Most Influential Africans 2025 and One of 100 Most Impactful Voices 2026. She has been a Member of the Egyptian Senate (2020-2025).

She has been awarded the Doctorate of Letters (D.Litt) Honoris Causa by the Krishna World University for her efforts and commitment towards Women Empowerment, Girl Education and Patient care transformation in Africa and other developing nations.

Over the past 14 years, Dr. Rasha Kelej has worked closely with more than 33 African and Asian First Ladies, who are the Ambassadors of Merck Foundation “More Than a Mother”, leading their joint program in their respective countries, as well as with key partners including Ministries of Health, Information, Education & Gender, Academia, Policymakers, International Fertility Societies, Media and Art from over 52 countries.

Dr. Rasha Kelej has introduced and continues to lead several impactful programs including the “Merck Foundation Scholarships Program”, through which more than 2,600 scholarships have been provided for healthcare providers from 52 countries in 44 critical and underserved medical specialties.

She also created the “Merck Foundation More Than a Mother” movement in 2015, one of the most impactful and widely recognized campaigns, that aims to empower infertile and childless women through access to information, education, health and change of mindset.

The campaign is building quality and equitable Reproductive and Fertility Care capacity, breaking infertility stigma, raising awareness about infertility prevention & male infertility, and Supporting Girl Education.

Dr. Rasha Kelej is a strong advocate for supporting girls’ education and firmly believes that educating girls is one of the most effective ways to transform communities. Through the Merck Foundation Educating Linda program, annual scholarships are provided to high-performing yet underprivileged schoolgirls. To date, more than 1,500 scholarships have been awarded to African schoolgirls from 21 countries, covering school fees and other essential educational expenses, including books and uniforms, enabling them to complete their education and reach their full potential.

To learn more about Dr. Rasha Kelej’s journey, visit her Social Media Handles: Instagram, Facebook, X, and YouTube. And Merck Foundation Social Media Handles: Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube.

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Published on June 9, 2026