Royalty in the News

The Queen of Jordan launched the second stage of her school initiative Madrasati (“my school”), where 100 schools across the Kingdom will be renovated.

Queen Rania began Madrasati in April 2008 to have corporations and NGOs take part in local education. The project aims at making education a social responsibility. It is intended to benefit some 165,000 students over a five-year period.

“Education is today’s most valuable investment. By striving to achieve the best for our children today, we ensure they become a positive force of tomorrow,” Queen Rania said in her address at yesterday’s launch.

She also highlighted the importance of building mutual trust among all stakeholders and partners.

“Our private partners trust that these students will produce a brighter future for all of Jordan and these students know that this trust is not a gift; it is a loan they will have to pay back to future generations.”

Besides refurbishing 500 public schools in need of infrastructure and maintenance work, the initiative also entails training teachers and providing them with modern technology.

The Queen yesterday commended the efforts of all those who have made Madrasati possible.

“We have built a circle of trust and we are delivering on the promise to build a better learning environment for our children. But if we want our future to be solid, we must continue to strengthen its foundations,” she noted.

By building partnerships between community members and public and private institutions, Madrasati is now supported by four public departments, 55 private sector companies and more than 15 NGOs.

Those NGOs include UNICEF.

Queen Rania has been a longtime advocate for education in her country, plus with UNICEF’s programs to expand education worldwide.