World Learning Receives MoneyGram Foundation Grant to Add 15,000 Books to Pakistani School Libraries

Publication Date: January 8, 2018
Publication Location: WASHINGTON, DC
Contact: Kathryn Schoenberger   |   [email protected]

World Learning’s USAID-funded Pakistan Reading Project (PRP) has received $50,000 from The MoneyGram Foundation to provide 15,000 books to 100 government schools as part of the project’s efforts to build the reading skills of more than 1.3 million children across the country.

The MoneyGram Foundation grant will contribute to this work by providing 150-book libraries to 100 government schools in the Bhimber, Muzaffarabad, Mirpur, Hattian Bala, Kotli and Neelum districts of Pakistan’s Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) region. The libraries will include new reading materials designed by World Learning and books from local authors and publishers on subjects that aim to inspire students’ academic and personal growth.

“World Learning is grateful for The MoneyGram Foundation’s generous financial support for this vital program. Such private sector partnerships with development organizations are important to promote and sustain education and reading efforts worldwide.” said Sakil Malik, World Learning’s vice president for Global Development. “Literacy is the foundation for learning and this funding will deliver essential educational resources to help thousands of students develop the reading skills they need to succeed in the classroom.”

PRP is improving literacy education in Pakistan by providing training and professional development for nearly 25,000 teachers and educators in 14,000 public schools and engaging local communities to help establish a culture of reading. Funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), World Learning is implementing the project in partnership with a consortium of international and local partners led by the International Rescue Committee (IRC).

MoneyGram established the MoneyGram Foundation in 2012 to help children around the world gain access to educational facilities and learning resources. Its mission is firmly rooted in the belief that education is at the heart of better economic opportunities, healthier families and individual freedom and empowerment. The MoneyGram Foundation is focused on inspiring minds and improving lives and grants funds to deserving organizations with this mission in mind. To learn more, please visit moneygramfoundation.org or connect with us on Facebook.

World Learning is a nonprofit organization empowering people and strengthening institutions through education, sustainable development, and exchange programs in more than 100 countries.