The Malala Fund has reported reaching more than 26 million students through its programmes during the 2024–2025 fiscal year. This was disclosed in the organisation’s annual report published on Monday on its official website.
Malala and Ziauddin Yousafzai started the Malala Fund in 2013 to support every girl’s right to 12 years of education. Both father and daughter are education and human rights activists from Pakistan who support girls’ right to go to school.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the Malala Fund invested 66.4 million US dollars across its programmes, working with 123 education champions, 65 girls’ programme fellows, and other partners. The fund focused on activities in six countries: Nigeria, Pakistan, Brazil, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, and Tanzania.
Support for Local Education Reforms in Nigeria
In Nigeria, where close to five million adolescent girls remain out of school, the Fund’s partners supported efforts to improve education access through policy reform and community engagement.
The report highlighted that in Kano State, advocacy by the BridgeConnect Africa Initiative resulted in the institutionalisation of the Gender Responsive Education Budgeting (GREB) framework. Under the framework, more than 50 government stakeholders were trained, and a 15-member GREB Committee was formed.
According to the report, this contributed to an increase in the state’s education budget allocation from 19% to 35%, specifically for girls’ education. The increased funding enabled the reopening of 15 girls’ secondary schools and expanded access to free school transportation, school uniforms, and the recruitment of more female teachers.
Global Advocacy and Financial Initiatives
The report stated that the Fund’s partners were involved in international advocacy, particularly in Afghanistan, where girls remain banned from attending secondary school. The Fund supported initiatives to oppose gender-based education restrictions and campaigned to end gender apartheid.
In addition to advocacy efforts, the Malala Fund also launched a new program directed at reforming global debt structures. According to the report, these reforms are intended to unlock funding for education in low-income countries facing debt crises that limit their ability to invest in schools, teachers, and transport for students.
During the fiscal year, the Fund awarded 10.2 million US dollars in grants to 57 organisations across ten countries. A large portion of these funds went to the Education Champion Network (ECN), the Afghanistan Initiative, and the Girls’ Programme, with additional grants allocated to emergency response efforts impacting girls’ education.
Statement from the CEO
The Malala Fund’s Chief Executive Officer, Lena Alfi, stated in the report that the Fund secured seven billion US dollars in donor commitments to finance global education. She noted that the Fund supported 13 million students in continuing their education amid disruptions.
Alfi expresses that grantee partners contributed to laws that guarantee education for all children—from a constitutional amendment in Brazil securing funding for marginalised girls, to the Child Rights Act in Nigeria protecting girls from child marriage,” Alfi said.
“From a constitutional amendment in Brazil which cemented education funding for marginalised girls, to the Child Rights Act in Nigeria which protects girls from child marriage;
“They made sure policies and budgets actually improved girls’ ability to learn, from ensuring adolescent mothers in Tanzania can return to school to increasing funding for teacher salaries and safe transportation in Pakistan,” she said.
She added that the results mark the conclusion of the Fund’s 2020–2025 strategy and will guide planning for the next five years.
ETP
