Now we feast! Michelle Obama and the girls are joined by Meryl Streep for lavish dinner with Moroccan princess at palace in Marrakesh

Michelle Obama and her daughters indulged in a traditional Moroccan iftar with Princess Lalla Salma, the wife of King Mohammed VI, on Tuesday evening. 

The Obamas were joined by actress Meryl Streep and other members of the Moroccan Royal family at the sumptuous dinner to break the fast during the holy Muslim month of Ramadan at King's Palace in Marrakesh. The first lady travels to Spain on Wednesday. 

Earlier on Tuesday, Mrs Obama told Moroccan teenage girls that her parents knew the value of education, her brother set an example 'and I thought if he can do it, then I can do it, because I know I am smarter than him!'

Streep and actress Freida Pinto joined the first lady's encounter with two dozen young women in Marrakesh to discuss the challenges girls around the world face in getting educated. 

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Michelle Obama (left) and her daughters indulged in a traditional Moroccan iftar with Princess Lalla Salma (right), the wife of King Mohammed VI, on Tuesday evening

The Obamas attended the sumptuous dinner to break the fast during the holy Muslim month of Ramadan at King's Palace in Marrakesh

In the North African kingdom of Morocco, only 36 percent of girls continue school beyond the primary level.

'We have to change those notions that girls are only valuable for their reproductive capacity or their ability to do manual labor,' Obama said, adding that 62 million girls worldwide do not have access to education for an array of reasons, from a lack of resources to cultural norms.

The first lady's daughters, Sasha and Malia, joined their mother in Marrakesh but did not take part in the event.

The 'Let Girls Learn' initiative, launched in March 2015 by President Barack Obama and the first lady, is to be extended to Morocco, the White House announced Tuesday. 

It said the Millennium Challenge Corporation, a U.S. government foreign aid agency working in partnership with the Moroccan government, is investing nearly $100 million to transform secondary education in the country. 

USAID is also giving $400,000 to create five new girls' dormitories to improve educational opportunities for girls from rural areas.

They were joined by actress Meryl Streep and other members of the Moroccan Royal family in Marrakesh on Tuesday evening 

Meryl Streep (left) an actress and advocate for girls education, and Princess Lalla Hasnaa (right) attend an Iftar dinner at the palace

Malia Obama (left) and Princess Lalla Meryem of Morocco both dressed up for the lavish Iftar dinner at the royal palace in Marrakesh

A massive floral centerpiece decorated the table as the guests tucked into traditional Moroccan delicacies during the meal

Malia Obama, 17, who recently graduated from high school, sat next to Princess Lalla Meryem of Morocco at the dinner

'The investment in an education now will reap benefits (in) years to come and that is what my family knew instinctively,' the first lady said. 

'My parents didn't go to university. We didn't have a lot of money. But one of the things ... was that my parents understood the value of an education. And they fought for me, they sacrificed, they saved.'

The group met in the courtyard of Dar Diafa, a historic riad that has been converted into a restaurant.

One young woman taking part, who identified herself only as Karima from Ouarzazate, in south-central Morocco, said her parents ensured she had a primary school education but discouraged her from focusing her secondary education on science technology, a field dominated by men.

A school bus helped 16-year-old Hannan Amin, from Ifrane, get to school and avoid a 4.3-mile trudge on foot.

'Every single person's story is different,' said Streep, who advised the young women never to give up and said she was the first in her family to get a university education.

'In my own life, I know that losing heart is the most dangerous thing. You can put any obstacle in front of me and I will jump over it, but when I lose heart, you lose everything,' she said. 

Earlier on Tuesday, first lady Michelle Obama (pictured) spoke about education with teenage girls in Marrakesh, Morocco

One young woman taking part, who identified herself only as Karima from Ouarzazate, in south-central Morocco, said her parents ensured she had a primary school education but discouraged her from focusing her secondary education in science technology

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The first lady's meeting heralded an announcement that the Let Girls Learn initiative, created March 2015, would bring more than $100million of foreign aid going towards transforming secondary education in the country

Meryl Streep (right) joined Mrs Obama for an event focusing on the challenges Moroccan girls face to continue their schooling

Michelle Obama and her daughters Sasha and Malia were welcomed by Princess Lalla Salma (centre right) at Menara Airport in Marrakesh

King Mohammed VI's wife Princess Lalla Selma (rear right) met Michelle Obama (left) and daughters Malia and Sasha at the airport

Education for girls is the central theme of the first lady's six-day trip, which saw her visit Liberia before heading to Morocco and Spain. She is traveling with her mother and daughters Malia, 17, who recently graduated from high school, and Sasha, 15.

They were welcomed in Liberia with a red carpet and traditional dancers. 

On Monday, Mrs Obama visited a leadership camp for girls in Liberia, where she urged the teens in one of the world's poorest countries to keep fighting to stay in school.

With her own teenage daughters joining her, Obama told the girls she was 'just so thrilled to be here with you.'

'I'm here to shine a big bright light on you,' she said. 

In connection with the first lady's visit, USAID announced up to $27 million in funding in Liberia programming for Let Girls Learn. 

Liberia was battered by civil wars between 1989 and 2003. Ebola swept the country in 2014, killing more than 4,800. Schools were closed for months.

The country was founded as part of an effort to resettle freed American slaves and has deep ties to the United States. The country's oldest vocational high school, located in Kakata, is named for African-American civil rights activist Booker T. Washington.

The school suspended mid-term exams scheduled to start Monday 'to allow the students to give Mrs. Obama a rousing welcome to appreciate what the United States has done for us,' principal Harris Tarnue said.

'She will be a real inspiration to the young girls around here,' he said.

Mrs Obama's previous visits to Africa as first lady included Ghana, South Africa, Botswana, Senegal and Tanzania.

Michelle Obama washes hands with students at the R. S. Caulfield School girls center in Margibi County, Liberia, on Monday