Malala donates $700,000 for construction of school in Swat

News Desk |

Social activist Malala Yousafzai has donated 700,000 dollars for the construction of a school in her hometown in Swat Valley.

The school is currently in its second phase of construction and will be completed by April 2018.

Her organization Malala Fund in collaboration with The Big Heart Foundation from Sharjah donated this amount to construct the girl’s school.

The donation was announced at an event at Oxford University.

The donation will cover half the cost of construction of the school. The school will have science labs, IT labs, staff rooms, principal’s room, reception, playground facilities, and classrooms.

Read more: Malala makes list of 150 most influential women in UK

The school will also have a library, laboratory, an activity hall, and accommodation for female teachers from remote areas. The same fund will also partially cover the costs of the school for the first two years.

“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, Swat Valley in Pakistan,” said Malala on the occasion.

The school will have a capacity of 350 girls in 11 classrooms.

Currently, Malala is pursuing her higher education at Oxford University in the United Kingdom.

The girl’s schools in her hometown were brutally attacked during the militant rule in Swat Valley. After a successful military operation in Swat, the government is trying to rehabilitate the region and help it return to normalcy.

Read more: Malala makes list of 150 most influential women in UK

Malala Yousafzai a proactive supporter of female education. In her recent interview, she said, “girls hold the extreme potential to change the world but we have to invest in them first”.

She has been delivering powerful speeches at various international forums including the United Nations, encouraging world leaders to donate and support female education in their respective countries.

She has recently partnered with 13-year-old American singer Grace VanderWaal and 18-year-old Sarah Greichen for a campaign ‘Pass it on’ with a message of empowerment for young females. 

The campaign will run throughout 2018 in 200 countries.

note: an earlier version of this article incorrectly stated $7m.