Malala presses Nigerian President on kidnapped girls and to ensure safe education for all, President Jonathan agrees to meet with escaped school girls and families of girls still in captivity for first time
Malala Fund announces $200,000 USD in grants for Nigerian girls’ education organizations
New York, NY (July 14, 2014) – Education advocate and Malala Fund Co-Founder Malala Yousafzai marked her 17th birthday today in Nigeria, calling on Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan and international leaders to ensure the safety of schoolgirls in Nigeria and students globally. Inspired by the bravery and sacrifice of the recently kidnapped schoolgirls in Northern Nigeria, Malala is asking supporters to make her birthday wish that every girl has a safe, quality education a reality and join her in declaring that girls’ power and courage is stronger than any campaign of fear.
Joined on stage in Abuja at her Malala Day speech by some of the kidnapped schoolgirls who have escaped Boko Haram, families of some of the girls still in captivity and the Nigerian organizers of the #BringBackOurGirls movement, Malala said: “This Malala Day I speak for those children whose right to safety, health and quality education has been snatched from them. I speak for the 66 million girls around the world who are not in school.“
Continued Malala: “As I turn 17, my birthday wish this year is that to see my Nigerian sisters returning to their homes and continuing their education and that every child all around the world gets the opportunity to go to school…I call upon the world community to protect girls across the world. No child, anywhere, ever, should be a target of conflict or violence.”
Malala began Malala Day by meeting with Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, calling on him to dramatically increase efforts to bring the girls back home safe and alive. She also pressed President Jonathan to deliver on offers of support for the girls and their families. At Malala’s urging in the meeting, for the first time, President Jonathan has now agreed to meet with the escaped schoolgirls and the families of some of the girls still in captivity tomorrow, Tuesday, in Abuja.
In morning meetings with Nigeria’s Education Minister, she appealed to the government to ensure the millions of children out of school in Nigeria, especially girls and those in Northern Nigeria, have access to a safe, quality primary and secondary education. 42% of Nigeria’s 6-11 year olds, 10.5 million children, are not currently in school and Nigeria currently has the world’s worst national primary school attendance record.
Malala also announced in her address $200,000 USD in new grants from her Malala Fund to Nigerian nonprofits working to educate and empower girls, and secondary school scholarships as part of those programs to be offered first to the escaped girls and any of their classmates who return home from the captivity of Boko Haram.
Education advocate Malala’s courage and determination have illustrated how one girl can change the world and this year, she has asked that Malala Day focus not on her singular story, but instead on the inspiration and bravery of girls everywhere.
Said Malala: “Education is the best weapon through which we can fight poverty, ignorance and terrorism. The road to education, peace and equality is long, but we will succeed if we walk it together.”
In her Malala Day #StrongerThan video, she asks all girls and those who support girls’ education to post their own inspiring messages of what they are #strongerthan and have overcome in their own fight for education.
A World at School, AMN, AVAAZ, Awaz Community Development Council Swat, Baela, Brookings Center for Universal Education, CAMFED, Centre for Civic Education Pakistan, Change.org , Chime for Change/Global Philanthropy, Code.org, CRSD & Pakhtunkhwa Civil Society Network, Do Something.org, Donors Choose, Education Advisory Committee, Global Peace, Elementary Education Foundation, Free the Children, General Assembly, Girl Rising, Girl Rising Pakistan, Girl Up/UNF, Girls not Brides, Girls Who Code, Global Campaign for Education, Global Partnership for Education, lead advocacy partner Global Citizen, Global Peace Council Pakistan Swat, Idara Baraye Taleem-o-Taraqi , Iqra Fund ,Islampur Cottage Industries Association, Lean In, Lettuce Bee Kids, Marghalara Malalai Publishers, National Integrated Development Association, Nike Foundation, Organize, Oxfam, Pencils of Promise, Plan Canada, Plan International, Plan USA, Protecting Education, Rabtt, Rashid Shaheed Foundation, Results, RYOT, Save the Children (UK), She’s the First, Society for Rights and Development, Tailored for Education, Teach for All, UN.org , UNFPA, UNICEF, Vice, Vital Voices, Vodafone, Women’s Networking Hub and Women in the World have all partnered with the Malala Fund to make Malala’s birthday wish a reality by raising their voices and engaging supporters online for Malala Day. Supporters globally are encouraged to advocate, drive awareness and donate to girls’ education projects globally, either directly at partner websites or through a “Birthday Wish” Fund at malala.org.
On her 16th birthday in 2013, Malala delivered a speech on global education at the United Nations Headquarters in New York – her first public speech since being targeted by the Taliban for her commitment to education. This day became known as Malala Day, a day when we come together to take action, make pledges and raise our voices together to support girls education, so that those without a voice can be heard.
“Malala day is not my day,” said Malala at the first Malala Day at the United Nations in 2013.
“It is the day of every woman, every boy and every girl who have raised their voice for their rights.”
By visiting www.malala.org, everyone can show their support for Malala’s birthday wish and share their own photos and messages via social media utilizing the Malala Day hashtag #strongerthan.
Remember to “join the cavalry” by subscribing to Devin’s content here.
