Islamabad: Pakistan plans to honour Malala Yousafzai, the schoolgirl education campaigner shot by the Taliban, by opening special schools in her name for poor children, officials said on Monday.
The ‘Malala Schools’ are planned for 16 areas around Pakistan affected by conflict or natural disasters, said Nafisa Shah, chairwoman of the National Commission for Human Development.
The aim is to give children in these areas, who often have little in the way of educational opportunities, a chance to go to school, Shah said, but added that money for the scheme had not yet been found.
“We have identified the places and [will] soon launch a fundraising scheme to generate finances for these schools,” Shah said.
Each school will have two classrooms, a verandah, a toilet and space to extend the building if needed and will each cost 800,000 rupees (Dh30,192) and provide basic education to both girls and boys.
On Saturday, Pakistan marked ‘Malala Day’ in a global showing of support for the teenager shot by the Taliban for promoting girls’ education.
Taliban hitmen shot Malala on her school bus a month ago in Mingora in Swat Valley, in a cold-blooded murder attempt for the ‘crime’ of campaigning for girls’ rights to go to school.
The 15-year-old survived and her courage has won the hearts of millions around the world, prompting the United Nations to declare Saturday a ‘global day of action’ for her.
People around the world held vigils and demonstrations honouring Malala and calling for the 32 million girls worldwide who are denied education to be allowed to go to school.
Two of Malala’s friends were wounded in the attempt on her life and one, 16-year-old Kainaat Riaz, said she was still haunted by memories of the attack.
“I am still terrified,” she said. “I still get tears in my eyes whenever I think of that incident. I saw Malala in the pool of blood in front of me with my eyes.”
Shazia Ramzan, 13, spent a month in hospital after being shot in the shoulder during the attack, but she said it had made her even more determined to go to school.
“The shooting tried to stop us from getting an education — it was our test and we must pass it.”
Malala rose to prominence with a blog for the BBC charting life in Swat under the Taliban, whose bloody two-year reign of terror supposedly came to an end with an army operation in 2009.
Despite the dangers, some children in Mingora were determined to speak out and pledged to follow Malala’s example.
“Malala is a good friend of mine,” said 12-year-old Asma Khan, a student in Saroosh Academy, close to Malala’s school. “She is brave and has honour and whoever attacked her did a terrible thing.
“After the attack on her and her injuries, we have now more courage to study and now we will fulfil her mission to spread education everywhere.”
Khan’s schoolmate Gul Para, also 12, added: “Malala is the daughter of the nation and we are proud of her. She has stood by us and for our education up to now and now it is time that we should stand by her and complete her mission.”
