Duchess Kate Highlights Children & Families with a Speech in Pakistan
Kate Middleton delivered a brief speech while she and Prince William visited the charity SOS Children's Village in Lahore, Pakistan today.
She spoke highly of the organization, which provides young children with a home and family structure, schooling, security, and eventually, job training.
"You have created a home, where children are given the love, protection, and support that will enable them to have a fairer chance in life," the duchess said.
Days after Prince William gave a speech during a reception in Islamabad, Pakistan, it was Kate Middleton's turn to take the mic. The Duchess of Cambridge delivered remarks during an engagement in Lahore today, where she and the duke visited SOS Children's Village to learn about how charity is creating safe, positive environments for young children to grow up in.
Kate, a known advocate for issues regarding motherhood, early childhood development, and children's health, applauded the organization's work in her speech. "I’m aware that many of you have experienced extremely difficult times in your lives," she said. "But it is inspiring to see how you have used your strength and positivity to help transform the lives of so many young children here."
She continued:
"Being here in Pakistan this week, William and I have seen on several occasions how family is at the heart of your culture. Parents, children, aunts, uncles, grandparents all play important roles – you have reminded us exactly what family means.
You have shown us too that it is not simply a term that describes the relationship between blood relatives. Instead it describes those special bonds we share with those who make us feel safe and supported. It is the quality of those relationships that matters
Earlier this year I talked about the fact that it takes a village to raise a child. The village we have seen here today is the best representation of that ideal that I could have possibly imagined. Together as a village you are transforming children’s lives and providing them with strong foundations to support all their families.
You have created a home, where children are given the love, protection, and support that will enable them to have a fairer chance in life. Here, women who were once vulnerable, now play the most vital of roles as mothers and it is most heartening to see that you are not doing this alone."
The Duchess of Cambridge also took a stab at speaking Urdu, the national language of Pakistan. She started her speech with, "Assalam O Alaikum. Emaan, Ibrahim, aur Daniyal, apni salgirah pur bulanay ka bohat shukria." Per People, that roughly translates to, "Hello. Peace be upon you. Iman, Ibrahim, and Daniyal, thank you for inviting us to your birthday celebration." (Iman, Ibrahim, and Daniyal are youth living in the village who celebrated their birthdays with a joint party attended by William and Kate today.)
Apparently, Kate did a good job, according to 12-year-old Iman. "Her Urdu was very good!" she said.
A post shared by The Cambridges (@teatimewiththecambridges) on Oct 17, 2019 at 5:29am PDT
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