Malala’s father donates furniture, uniforms to school

BISHAM: Ziauddin Yousafzai, the father of Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai, has donated furniture, school uniform and sweaters to a primary school in Barkana village in his native Shangla district.

The donation was made to the Government Primary School for Boys and Girls in Barkana village under his “Pay back to School” initiative.

Ziauddin Yousafzai had received his primary education from the school in 1974.

He is the United Nations advisor on education. He had launched the initiative to provide furniture and other items to schools in Shangla district.

The donation included over 250 benches, desks, school uniform and sweaters for the schoolchildren.

Talking to The News on phone from London, Ziauddin Yousafzai said it was this school that motivated him to do something good in the future. “I cannot forget the time I spent in my village school,” he said.

He added he got the idea to launch the initiative after he found out that the students of this school still sit on the mats. He added that the campaign was aimed at improving learning conditions in the state-run schools.

Malala Yousafzai also talked to The News on phone and urged the parents to send their children, particularly girls to school. “It made me very happy that my father has donated furniture and other items to the school where he had studied,” she said.