malala.

All of elementary school I was in a club called CCKC (cove kids care club.) We raised money, and awareness for global and local problems. This club opened me up to the problems around the world, including how girls didn’t have the same opportunities as boys in certain country’s. One day, the name Malala was mentioned, and her story was told to me and everyone in CCKC. I instantly became intrigued by her story, and wanted to know more. I watched videos of her speeches, read her books and learned a lot from it all. So, why am I telling you this? As an assignment, we had to write a blog post on someone who is influential and creates/created change. My first reaction was to write it about Malala Yousafzai.

Here’s Malala’s story. She was born on July 12, 1997 in Mingora, Pakistan. Her father owned a school, and she grew up going to the school, feeling education was a right. As she grew up her right of education was taken from her, and instead of doing nothing about it, she became a girls education advocate. She blogged anonymously, had appearances on TV, basically saying what she needed to, in any way she could. Her voice grew louder, and over the course of the next three years, she became known throughout Pakistan for their determination to give Pakistani girls access to a free basic education. But, the people who took away her and every girls in Pakistan education, the Taliban, didn’t like what she was doing. On October 9, 2012, 15 year old Malala was shot in the head by the Taliban.

However, Malala survived. She was transported to a military hospital in Peshawar, then 4 days later, to a intensive care unit in Birmingham, England. After all of that, many surgeries, and therapy, she started attending a school in Birmingham. She only became stronger and gained more knowledge from here. Malala won a noble piece in 2015, and continues to advocate for girls education, and speaks against the Taliban, as well as fighting for human rights.

Her ability to be fearless is beyond measure. She knew it wasn’t safe to protest against the Taliban, and knew what could happened. She continued to say what she believed, even after she wanted dead by the taliban. In the face of violence, she refused to back down. She then found a place in the world, England, that was safe to say whatever she wanted, causing the little bit of fear she had in Pakistan to become strength.

Malala showed us that theres no required age to stand up against unjustice. Her love of education and belief that if you educate girls, there will be more peace in the world; is what drives her. She gave every girl without the right of education, a voice. If I could ask malala one thing, it would be, what made the fear not as important as what you believe in?