Malala nominated for EUEF award

KARACHI: Days after winning the Nobel Peace Prize, Malala Yousufzai has been nominated by the European Union Education Foundation (EUEF) for its annual award.

"The EUEF will award Malala for her contribution in the education field," said the foundation’s spokesperson Azfar Bukhari on Sunday.

"We have sent a message to her father and hope she will attend the event," he added. According to the spokesperson, the prize, worth about 10,000 euros, will be presented to her in Brussels on April 17.

The EUEF nominates individuals hailing from third world countries for their contribution to the education sector. Malala, aged 17, becomes the first Pakistani nominee for the award since 2007.

Revealing details of the foundation’s engagements in the country, the EUEF official said that the education body will launch its scholarship programme for Pakistani students this month. On Friday, Norwegian Nobel Committee picked Malala for the prestigious peace award, making her the youngest winner of the accolade. The teenage campaigner was shot in the head by the Taliban in 2012 for advocating girls' right to education.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 13^th, 2014.