Pakistan (Muhammad Yasir)
Malala Fund co-founders Malala Yousafzai and Ziauddin Yousafzai are due to arrive in Lahore, Pakistan this week for a series of interactions with key stakeholders in education, government, the development community, media, digital cultural creators, students and youth, along with advocates from the Malala Fund Education Champion Network and partners.
While in Pakistan, the co-founders will also join an eminent academic delegation from the Oxford Pakistan Programme [OPP] and the Malala Fund team across a series of events to increase awareness of the OPP within Pakistan, with a specific focus on science education for Pakistani girls. The promotion of secondary school-aged girls’ access to science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics [STEAM] education is a major pillar of the Malala Fund in Pakistan who are currently working with the Ministry of Federal Education to implement an ambitious programme on STEAM Education with other partners to reform 13000 government high schools across Pakistan.
During this trip, co-founder Malala Yousafzai will also highlight work with the Oxford Pakistan Programme (OPP), an initiative led by her alma mater. The OPP initiative aims to bridge Oxford and Pakistan’s academic communities, including a newly established fellowship with Malala Fund, Lady Margaret Hall (LMH), the OPP and Oxford’s Department of Education. The Malala Visiting Fellowship in Education will facilitate teacher training courses in Pakistan to address the shortage of trained teachers, especially women, in Pakistan.
The co-founders will also be engaging with thought leaders, students, academia and activists across a series of events including panels and roundtables with both emerging and established voices for a greater view on Pakistan’s present and future.
While in Lahore, Malala Yousafzai and Ziauddin Yousafzai will also hold a meeting with the Chief Minister of Punjab with a focus on education and the work of the Malala Fund in Pakistan.
Malala Yousafzai last visited Pakistan in October 2022 to meet with young women and families from flood-impacted communities in Sindh and to call on the international community to increase aid to Pakistan. During the trip, Malala announced Malala Fund’s commitment to pledge $700,000 (PKR 154 Million) to organizations in Pakistan to support flood relief.
