Seeking to strengthen girl education in India and other
countries, technology giant Apple has teamed up with the Malala Fund,
led by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai, to double the number
of grants awarded to the children.
With Apple’s
support, Malala Fund expects to double the number of grants awarded by
its Gulmakai Network and extend funding programmes to India and Latin
America with the initial goal of extending secondary education
opportunities to more than 100,000 girls, Apple said in a statement.
Apple
will become the fund’s first Laureate partner, enabling a significant
expansion of Yousafzai’s effort to support girls’ education and advocate
for equal opportunity, it said. “My dream is for every girl to choose
her own future,” said 20-year-old Pakistani, the youngest Nobel Peace
Prize winner.
“Through both their innovations and philanthropy, Apple
has helped educate and empower people around the world. I am grateful
that Apple knows the value of investing in girls and is joining Malala
Fund in the fight to ensure all girls can learn and lead without fear,”
she said.
Since 2013, Malala Fund has been working in
partnership with other organisations, the private sector and
governments around the world to realise every girl’s right to 12 years
of free, safe, quality education. The fund’s Gulmakai Network currently
supports programmes in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Lebanon, Turkey and
Nigeria.
Gulmakai Network is named after
the pseudonym 11-year-old Malala used when writing a blog for the BBC
about life under the Taliban. She was awarded Nobel Peace Prize in 2014.
“We believe that education is a great equalising force, and we share
Malala Fund’s commitment to give every girl an opportunity to go to
school,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook. “Malala is a courageous advocate for
equality. She’s one of the most inspiring figures of our time, and we
are honoured to help her extend the important work she is doing to
empower girls around the world,” Cook said.
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