Did you know that “more than 130 million
girls are out of school today?"
Too many girls are still shut out of school
because they have to work, are married early,
or have to care for younger siblings, denying
them their fundamental right to education.”
This is a story of a fearless 15-year old named
Malala Yousafzai,
who stood up for education and was shot by the Taliban.
Malala was born in Swat Valley, Pakistan,
“a land where rifles are fired in celebration
for a son, while daughters are hidden away
behind a curtain.”
Yet when her father first looked into her
eyes, he told people, “I know there is something
different about this child.”
Malala was named after the greatest heroine
of Afghanistan, Malalai of Maiwand, who, “went
to the battlefield with other women to “defeat
the British army in 1880.”
Many girls in Swat Valley are afraid to go
to school, but Malala loved reading and was
considered “the smart girl” at a school
her father founded before she was born.
However, with the spread of terrorism, the
local Taliban took control of Swat Valley
and had at times banned girls from attending
school.
After the Taliban had bombed a local school,
Malala saw the need to stand up for herself,
her family, and all other girls within her
community.
Malala gave a speech titled, “How dare the
Taliban take away my basic right to education?”
Because of her activism for female education,
the Taliban “had issued a death threat against
her.”
Malala was more concerned for the safety of
her father — an anti-Taliban activist — than
for herself.
However, on October 9, 2012, Malala was shot
in the left side of her head by a Taliban
gunman, while riding the bus to school.
Two other girls were also injured in the attack.
Though in critical condition, Malala miraculously
survived the attack with no brain damage.
Malala and her family now live in Birmingham,
England where she is attending school.
“Unfortunately, the Taliban still consider
Malala a target.”
In October 2014, Malala received the Nobel
Peace Prize at age 17, being the youngest
person to receive the award.
Malala believes that education is a universal
human right.
On her 18th birthday, Malala opened a school
for Syrian refugee girls in Lebanon.
While there, she boldly demanded of leaders
that, “we must invest in books instead of
bullets.”
Malala believes that “one child, one teacher,
one book, and one pen can change the world.”
She believes in the power of one.
