Merck Foundation has donated 30,000 storybooks to Malawi’s Ministry of Education to aid infertility awareness campaign.

The country’s first lady, Monica Chakwera, who is the foundation’s More Than a Mother Ambassador in Malawi, said she was hopeful the books would mold the pupils into respectful parents on infertility issues.

The titles of the storybooks are Educating Alinafe, ChosadziwaPhiri’s Story, and Make the Right Choice’.

Infertility is a serious personal, social and public health issue in developing countries, including Malawi.

Infertility has many serious psychological and social consequences, including social exclusion, verbal and physical abuse, and marriage breakdown, according to Centre for Research on Families and Relationships.

On the storybook donation, Mrs Chakwera said Educating Alinafe is a book that covers the importance of empowering girls through education to break the cycle of poverty.

ChosadziwaPhiri’s Story, on the other hand, is a storybook for learners to raise awareness of infertility and to start teaching the value of respect and nurturing empathy from the young age of four; while Make the Right Choice tackles the Covid-19 pandemic in communities and promotes honesty, loyalty and hardworking among young people.

‘When girls are educated, their countries and nations become more powerful, stronger and prosperous’, she said at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe.

‘Unfortunately, as you are all aware, in our African communities, girls and women often miss out on the chance to access education’.

Deputy Minister of Education, Madalitso Wirima, thanked Merck Foundation for donating the books, saying they will be put to proper use.

Source: Merck Foundation

Photo source: Nyasa Times