Empowering infertile women to be more than mothers

 The stigma that follows infertile women more often than not leads to complex and devastating consequences. These range from isolation, ostracism, discrimination, disinheritance, physical and psychological assault and even divorce.

“Merck More than a Mother” is a pan-African initiative that aims to build fertility capacity, raise awareness about prevention of infertility and male infertility. It also opens a dialogue to define interventions to reduce the stigma and social suffering of infertile women in Africa.

Through “Empowering Berna” project “Merck More than a Mother” will support infertile women who can’t bear children anymore to establish their small business so that they can re-build their own independent and happier lives. They can be More Than Mothers.

Pan African Panel of Merck More Than A Mother held in Egypt

“It is very important to empower infertile women through improving access to awareness and fertility care so they can bear children as part of their human rights. In case they can no longer be treated, “Empowering Berna” project will contribute towards empowering and training them to establish their own small business so that they can be independent and re-build their own lives, A Woman is More Than A Mother, “Empowering Berna” initiative will prove this every day,” says Rasha Kelej, Chief Social Officer, Merck Healthcare.

Four women have so far been supported through “Empowering Berna” to establish their small business and are now more than mothers – proud, independent and happier. All of them have suffered isolation, discrimination, physical and psychological assault and even been disinherited and divorced due to infertility. Below are the stories of 4 women, their sufferings and life transformation after meeting “Merck More than a Mother”.

1) BernaAmullenEmpowered, Independent and Happier
BernaAmullen is a Ugandan woman who became infertile as a result of an untreated sexually transmitted disease. She was diagnosed too late to be given proper treatment and she lost the hope of being a mother and living a happy life.

This experience left Berna with so much agony she says. “I used to work with my husband, but he sold off all that we had acquired together so that he could marry another wife. He called for a large clan meeting and publicly disowned me. He even took away the farming fields that the elders had apportioned me. I was just left with a hut. He called me that stupid, barren and hopeless woman. ‘She has no use here,’ he said”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0abDbTGZqZA

Watch this video for Berna’s story of suffering due to infertility

Through the “Empowering Berna” project, Berna has been able to establish a chicken farm that has helped bring back her confidence and dignity. The society now looks at her as a woman of substance.

“I used to live under tough conditions before this project up-lifted me as a woman, I am now happy and my business is progressing well. I am lucky to have been able to begin a chicken project. I own a poultry house and chicken that I feed every day. I am very happy that this project has changed my life,” Berna proudly says.