2008

You can't write your own name or that of your child.

You started work, not at 16, 18 or 21, but at 5.

You earn so little – even after years of toil – that your own daughter, too, must work…

And so the cycle begins.

Millions of adults live this reality – 774 million… all illiterate … most of them women.

Millions of children will join them – 75 million … none with a day's schooling … most of them girls.

"Thank you, Julian, for your kind words, and for all your hard work at the helm of GAVI. And to Alisa and Josh, thank you so much for opening your beautiful home to us this evening. It is lovely to meet you and your young family, and makes me wish I had brought Salma and Hashem, my two youngest as well…but why shatter the peace of the English countryside?!

Let me start by asking you to raise your hand if you’re a mother.

The writer, Charlotte Gray once said:

Somebody once said that “To lose a child is to lose a piece of yourself.”

Last weekend, road accidents in Jordan claimed the lives of nine children, and twelve others.

Fifteen families shattered, so many, too many, precious pieces lost.

Seven years ago, the international community gathered in Dakar and pledged to achieve Education for All by the year 2015. The goals include expanding early childhood care and education; providing free, compulsory primary education; promoting learning and life skills; increasing adult literacy by 50 per cent; achieving gender equality, and ensuring quality education for all.

(Jordan Times, Press Department - Amman) Her Majesty Queen Rania on Saturday congratulated teachers on the occasion of Teachers’ Day and extended thanks to all of them for their efforts in educating the Kingdom’s students.

In a letter aired via Radio Jordan and other local broadcasting agencies, the Queen expressed pride in teachers, underlining the great responsibilities they are undertaking.

“You have shouldered the responsibility of educating and graduating one generation after the other, relentlessly…” the Queen said in her letter.

(Office of Her Majesty, Press Department - Amman) Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah launched, Tuesday, a new plan to renovate Jordan’s public schools and improve the learning environment. “Madrasati”, Queen Rania’s latest initiative, will build a partnership between community members and public and private institutions, to upgrade at least 500 of the Kingdom’s public schools.

(Jordan Times - Amman) Her Majesty Queen Rania on Sunday took part in the 9th meeting of the Arab Open University (AOU) board of trustees, where participants discussed several issues including the 2008-2012 AOU strategy and its scientific research plans.

They also discussed establishing a centre in Lebanon to ensure the quality of education, AOU employees’ salary scale and cooperation prospects with Harvard University, in addition to reviewing a follow-up performance report.

(Jordan Times, Press Department - Amman) Despite the rain and the chilly weather witnessed on Friday morning, thousands of Jordanians participated in a march to raise awareness on road accidents, calling on motorists and pedestrians to heed traffic rules.

Her Majesty Queen Rania participated in the march, organised by the Royal Health Awareness Society (RHAS) as part of its recently launched campaign entitled KAFA, or “enough”.

(Office of Her Majesty, Press Department – Darussalam) Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah, a keen advocate of promoting universal access to quality education, was accompanied by the princess of Brunei for a visit to the Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah (YSHHB) School, Wednesday, where the Queen toured the state of the art facility.

Lucia Pozzi: You are the Founder and Chairperson of the Jordan River Foundation. What exactly is the mandate of the Foundation and what compelled you to found it?

Queen Rania: My work with the Jordan River Foundation is especially close to my heart, because the JRF’s achievements are so apparent in human terms – women educated, children protected, communities uplifted, progress made.