Malala donates $50,000 World Children’s Prize money for rebuilding school in Gaza

Malala Yousafzai, who was on Tuesday was awarded the World’s Children’s Prize, said on Wednesday that she will donate the entire prize money of US$ 50,000 to help rebuild a United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) school in Gaza.

According to a statement released on Wednesday, Malala said that the needs of Gaza’s population are overwhelming with more than half of the population in the narrow strip under the age of 18.

“I am honored to announce that my World’s Children’s Prize money will go to help students and schools in an especially difficult place like Gaza,” the teenager announced as she received the prize in Stockholm.

“They want and deserve quality education, hope and real opportunities to build a future.”

Malala said that everyone should work together to ensure that every child in the world has better and safe access to quality education. “Because without education, there will never be peace,” said Malala, “let us stand together for peace and education because together we are more powerful.”

Malala praised the work of UNRWA and said that the agency is doing ‘heroic’ work for Palestinian children under the harsh political circumstances.

UNRWA schools were bombed during the recent Israeli air and ground blitz in the strip, prompting condemnation from UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

Responding to Malala’s gesture, the UNRWA appreciated her gesture.

“Recognition by you, a Nobel Laureate, who has shown so much personal courage and has campaigned so valiantly for the essential right of a child to receive an education, will lift the spirits of a quarter of a million UNRWA students in Gaza and boost the morale of our more than 9,000 teaching staff there. Their suffering during the fighting was devastating and your kindness will do much to ease the pain of recent months.”