“The Taliban could take our pens and books, but they couldn’t stop our minds from thinking.”
When the Taliban took control of the swat valley, one girl fought for her right to an education. On Tuesday 9 October 2012, she almost paid the ultimate price when she was shot in the head at point blank range.
Malala yousafzai’s extraordinary journey has taken her from remote valley in northern Pakistan to the halls of the United Nations. She has become a global symbol of peaceful protest and is the youngest ever winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.
Malala yousafzai’s, the educational campaigner from swat valley, Pakistan, came to public attention by writing for BBC Urdu about life under the Taliban. Using the pen name ‘Gul Makai’, she often spoke about her family’s fight for girls’ education in her community.
In October 2012, Malala was targeted by the Taliban and shot in the head as she was returning from school on a bus. She miraculously survived and continues her campaign for education.
In recognition of her courage and advocacy, Malala was awarded the Nobel prize in 2014, she was also honoured with the National Peace Prize in Pakistan in 2011 and the International children’s peace prize in 2013, and she was shortlisted for Time Magazine Person of the Year.
Malala continues to promote universal access to education through the Malala Fund, a non-profit organization investing in community-led education programmes and supporting education advocates around the world.She’s an inspiration to all. She shared her wisdom with this years’ high school graduates with a motivational and uplifting speech.
“To all the graduates of 2020 — like all of you, I’m also missing my graduation ceremony this year — and we are not alone,” she began, referencing her final semester at Oxford University. “Across the world, COVID-19 has forced one billion students out of school but for most of us, this is temporary and we will continue our education and follow our dreams
“But many girls, especially in developing countries, will never return to the classroom. Because of this crisis, they will be forced into early marriages or low paying jobs to support their families, and when schools re-open, their desks will be empty,” Malala sadly continued. “They are our peers. They have the same right to education as we do. So I ask you to remember them today as you out and change the world, don’t leave them behind,” she urged.
The class of 2020 won’t be defined by what we lost to this virus, but how we responded to it,” she concluded, poignantly adding, “The world is yours now, and I can’t wait to see what you make of it.”
As a young girl, she may have thought that there was nothing she could do or that no one would listen to her message but even a small action such as writing a blog entry led to bigger and bigger platforms for her to advocate for equal educational opportunities for all children.
Malala Yousafzai’s story proves that anyone and everyone has the power to fight for change and inclusive freedom for all over the world.
“Today I looked at myself in a mirror and thought for a second. Once I had asked God for one or two extra inches in height, but instead he made me as tall as the sky, so high that I couldn’t measure myself.
I love my god.i thank my Allah. By giving me this height to reach people, he has also given me great responsibilities. Peace in every home, every street, every village, every country.This is my dream.
Education for every body and every girl in the world. To sit down on a chair and read my books with all my friends at school is my right. To see each and every human being with a smile of happiness is my wish.I am Malala. My world has changed but I have not.”
“The girl who stood up for Education and was shot by the Taliban”
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