Malala announces support for Syrian refugee education in Jordan

AMMAN — International education advocate and the youngest ever Nobel Peace Prize winner, Malala Yousafzai on Monday announced new support to UNICEF to help Syrian refugee children in Jordan succeed in school.

Following a visit to the Ministry of Education school in Azraq Refugee Camp, which is supported by UNICEF, she spoke about her determination to increase school attendance and ensure quality education for children who already attend, according to a UNICEF statement.

“We are delighted to partner with the Malala Fund in supporting girls’ education in Jordan. Malala is an inspiration to children across the world and her powerful messages go a long way in promoting education for all children in Jordan,” the statement quoted UNICEF Jordan Representative Robert Jenkins as saying. 

This new support is particularly timely as UNICEF and its partners are preparing a large-scale back-to-learning campaign over the summer months.  

Speaking in Azraq camp, some 100km east of Amman and 20km west of the town of Azraq in Zarqa Governorate, Malala highlighted the importance of investing in education. 

“Peace can only be achieved through education,” she said. "This is why we are here to ask world leaders to treat the rest of the world's children as their own children," the statement quoted her as saying.

Malala spent Monday in Azraq camp with 16-year-old Syrian education advocate, Mozoun, who led the first UNICEF supported back-to-learning campaign in the Zaatari Refugee Camp during the summer of 2013. 

Mozoun showed Malala her grade 11 classroom and they also took the opportunity to have a game of football on the new pitch. 

Following the school visit the two spent time at the UNICEF and Norwegian Refugee Council run youth centre where Mozoun regularly attends computer classes.

Since meeting in Zaatari last year, Mozoun and Malala have become friends through their shared passion for education, according to UNICEF. 

The Azraq camp hosts more than 19,000 Syrian refugees, over half of whom are under 18, according to a study released recently.