11-year-old Saudi Arabian girl launches YouTube English language series

[al-Hasani]

Last updated: Thursday, December 26, 2013 6:45 PM



Abdulkarim Al-Dhiyabi
Okaz/Saudi Gazette

TAIF – In an unprecedented step, an 11-year-old Saudi girl launched a YouTube English language series, aside from lessons in Arabic language, self-development, mathematics and the art of drawing and photography. Majd Al-Asiri’s YouTube page, which was launched two weeks ago from Taif, has been watched by 14,000 people from 39 countries.

Okaz/Saudi Gazette visited Majd at her family home recently to learn about her future plans for her educational videos. Majd’s father, Muhammad Abdullah Asiri, said his daughter has converted their home to a workshop to give lessons.

“She provides her lessons free of charge. Men, women and children of different ages benefit from her lessons on Alpha 71 Academy.”

Majd said she strives to boost the culture of knowledge, work and cooperation in the family and with others. She selects useful information, develops and then presents it for people to benefit from.

Majd chose the number 71 because the number 7 indicates her seven sisters and the 1 is a symbol of her only brother, Abdullah, who is only 7.

Majd’s sisters have played a key role in the success of the YouTube page. She has assigned her eldest sister Reem, 26, who is doing her master’s in the US, to manage the page. Maha, 24, who is doing her master’s in computer science, has been assigned the task of technical management of the page while Shahd, 21, who is a student in pharmacology, gives drawing lessons. Ahd, 20, is a self-development trainer. Raghad, 16, who specializes in graphic design, has been assigned the task of editing her videos.

She stressed that she has not forgotten Abdullah. She has assigned him the task of training his peers in speaking English from home and the basics of drawing and swimming.

Meanwhile, President of Taibah University Dr. Adnan Al-Mazrou’ said the initiative is courageous and creative in a family whose members have strong bonds.

“The family is carrying out a clear message, which is new to our society. The family has several objectives, most prominent of which is to disseminate the culture of working from home.”

Saudi Gazette - 11-year-old Saudi girl launches YouTube English language series

The best thing is of course that she is a fellow Hijazi and from the mountain city of Ta'if located nearly 2000 meters above sea level.

LOL, jokes aside then I am very happy about such news.

 

[Doritos11]

So don't you think its better if you make 1 thread about development in Saudi Arabia instead of new ones for such mini news.

 

[al-Hasani]

I believe that such news deserves its own thread. Not much of such news from the region.

 

[Dubious]

 

[Ayush]

 

[elis]

Pointless thread

Children launch youtube channels everywhere

@Moderators please suppress this propaganda with no ties with the world news

 

[Wahhab2701]

Pointless thread

Children launch youtube channels everywhere

@Moderators please suppress this propaganda with no ties with the world news

Congrats to @al-Hasani for having somebody that really obsessed with him p:.

 

[IamBengali]

Congrats to the girl.

 

[Alpha1]

Mashallah

 

[livingdead]

congrats to her...
'In an unprecedented step...'

 

[Chai]

good *thumbs up*

she looks like al yaafi'i/yaaf'a people from yemen and dhofar

 

[al-Hasani]

good *thumbs up*

she looks like al yaafi'i/yaaf'a people from yemen and dhofar

If you notice the surname of her father then that is not a strange thing.

Why did you change your avatar?

 

[banvanaxl]

Pointless thread
Children launch youtube channels everywhere
@Moderators please suppress this propaganda with no ties with the world news

Definitely not a pointless thread. The girl has shown enormous courage to do something which is not looked upon very kindly in the part of the world form she belongs. She should be encouraged. Give kudos where kudos is due.

 

[al-Hasani]

Definitely not a pointless thread. The girl has shown enormous courage to do something which is not looked upon very kindly in the part of the world form she belongs. She should be encouraged. Give kudos where kudos is due.

Sir, who gave you the idea that this is looked down upon "in this kind of the world"? It is not. The new generation of Saudi Arabian women are more educated than the men. The vast majority of them are enrolled at various universities or places of higher learning and well over 20.000 study in the US alone at universities there out of a total of nearly 50.000 Saudi Arabians there. 4th highest number of foreign students in the world after the Chinese, Indians and South Koreans btw.

It is rare to do such a thing though for such a young girl in a country that has no tradition of English learning and a quite poor track record when it comes to English like most other Middle Eastern states. After all we were not a British colony so English was not imposed on us. The older generation have a bad command of English in general. Even many people my age have that despite KSA in general being one of the biggest users of social media - many times English spoken.

For instance my father would probably never have learnt English had he not worked for ARAMCO from a fairly young age despite coming from a affluent family (at that time) and a family that had access to travel outside the country. For instance my grandfather's English is poor while my great-grandfather never spoke it…...

 

[A.Rafay]

A courageous step by her. Hope she is successful in her mission.