ASNI: Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, flew up to a village in Morocco’s rugged Atlas Mountains on Sunday to visit a school and encourage girls to pursue an education no matter what the obstacles.

Harry and the pregnant Meghan landed in the mountain town of Asni on Sunday morning on a brief official visit to Morocco. They arrived by helicopter from the capital of Rabat and were welcomed by pupils from a school run by the Moroccan foundation Education for All.

The school educates girls from rural communities whose parents would not be able to afford secondary education, and houses them in a boarding house since some come from villages 50 miles away.

“They made us feel like they are normal people just like us, like people we knew from before,” said high school student Asmae Mennani, 17, describing how the royals inquired about her academic ambitions and encouraged her to continue studying.

Girls’ education in Morocco is hindered by high rates of child labour and child marriage. In rural areas, especially in the Atlas Mountains, the distance to schools presents another significant challenge to getting an education.

“They know that our families live far from us. They asked me about how far my village is and if I miss my family,” said 17-year-old Samira Ouaddi, whose village, which has no school, is 30 miles away.

Published in Dawn, February 25th, 2019