Washington, Oct 23 (IANS): US First Lady Michelle Obama has announced $70 million aid to educate girls in Pakistan, a USAID statement said.

“Building on Pakistan’s commitment to double education spending, the US will be investing $70 million to educate adolescent girls in Pakistan,” US First Lady Michelle Obama said on Thursday at a White House event she hosted for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s wife Kalsoom Nawaz.

According to a statement, USAID’s Let Girls Learn in Pakistan programme will provide $70 million to new and ongoing USAID programmes benefitting more than 200,000 adolescent girls aged between 10 and 19 years.

“With this funding we’re going to be building more than a dozen schools and rehabilitating hundreds of others,” said the first lady.

Mariam thanked Michelle for her support to strengthen Pakistan’s education sector.

Let Girls Learn will seek opportunities to foster public-private partnerships and collaborate with other development partners to advance girls’ education and empowerment. It will serve as a platform and catalyst for broader political and social commitment to strengthen adolescent girls’ education and empowerment in Pakistan.

Let Girls Learn is a US Government initiative that involves the Department of State, USAID, the Peace Corps, and others to ensure adolescent girls get the education they deserve.