The school will serve 350 Swat Valley girls in 11 classrooms.
It’s pretty well established that education is hugely important in terms of giving kids a chance at a better life, and now, one Emirates-based charity is stepping up to help with that.
The Big Heart Foundation have donated US$700,000 (Dhs2.57 million) towards the building of a school in Swat Valley, Pakistan, which also happens to be where Malala Yousafzai grew up.
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Now in its second stage, the school will open in April, Gulf News reports. It will have 11 classrooms and serve 350 girls.
Yousafzai, who’s now studying at Oxford University in England, survived being shot by Taliban extremists for speaking out on the need for girls’ education. She’s the world’s youngest Nobel Laureate.
As the donation was announced, 20-year-old Yousafzai expressed gratitude for the foundation’s help.
“I overwhelmingly thank The Big Heart Foundation for believing in my dream of a world where girls can choose their own future path. With their support, the Malala Fund can provide education for girls in my hometown,” she said.
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Sheikh Sultan Bin Ahmad Al Qasimi, who is the foundation’s humanitarian envoy, told Gulf News the goal was to help build a better future.
2018: Keep working for a world where girls can choose their own future.
— Malala (@Malala) December 31, 2017
“It is important to recognise that supporting our young and future generations with education is a fundamental responsibility for the world, and cooperating with one another to achieve this initiative is key to make sure that every young boy and girl has access to knowledge,” he said.
The Big Heart Foundation’s donation covers half the school’s budget, and will go towards both the building of classrooms, labs, playgrounds and dormitories, and to ongoing operational costs.
Yousafzai recently said that her goal for 2018 was to “keep working for a world where girls can choose their own future.”
We’d say this fits the bill.
Images: Getty
