After reviewing over 1,000 applications, we’re pleased to announce the group that will receive 10 scholarships for their students in 2026.
Founded in 2013 by Malala and Ziauddin Yousafzai, Malala Fund works to champion every girl’s right to 12 years of education.
In 2018, using the Nobel Peace Prize money she won four years prior, Malala opened Shangla Girls School, welcoming its first 183 students.
High in the mountains of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, the cost of books and uniforms; long distances to school over difficult ground; social expectations, and early marriage have all been difficult barriers to education for young girls.
Eight years later, Shangla Girls School now serves over 1,000 girls from primary age to grade 12 and is well established as a safe space for girls to learn, lead, and thrive. The school is more than just access to education; it also presents girls with a roadmap toward possibility for girls whose futures had historically been narrowly defined.
The funding TWFF will provide gives 10 girls school supplies, transportation, nutritious meals and other essential services that will keep them in school.
“Every girl who walks through the doors of Shangla Girls School carries something heavier than her school bag — hope. For herself. For a family that dared to believe a daughter’s education was worth it. These girls have already done the hard part: they showed up, ready to learn. What we owe them now is simple and that is the chance to finish what they started.
Thanks to the generous support of The White Feather Foundation, more of them will get exactly that. We are deeply grateful to Julian Lennon and the Foundation for seeing these girls and standing behind them when it matters most.” —Nishat Riaz, Malala Fund’s Chief Executive, Pakistan
We thank the members of The Muse monthly donor program and everyone who made one-time donations to The Cynthia Lennon Scholarship for Girls, which made these scholarships possible.
We will provide updates on the progress of the students in real time when we receive reports from our partners, so please check our socials and this website for the latest news.
If you would like to contribute toward the 2027 scholarship fund or become a monthly member of The Muse, which allocates funds specifically to these awards, start here.