Celebrating Malala Day
Malala travels around the world to meet girls fighting poverty, wars, child marriage and gender discrimination.
JULY 12 marks a significant day in global activism as we celebrate global icon Malala Yousafzai. Through her undying fight to see a girl child in school, the whole world had to stop and stand for a queen.
Born on 12 July 1997, in Pakistan, Malala is recognised as a global activist for the education of women and children, which put her country on the map and saw her as the youngest Nobel prize recipient in 2014.
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Her activism was triggered only at 11 years old when a group of Pakistani fundamentalists, the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, changed laws that saw her leave school because of her gender.
At 15, the young activist became a target after she spoke up on behalf of women’s education.
Describing the almost fatal event, Malala said: “In October 2012, on my way home from school, a masked gunman boarded my school bus and asked, ‘Who is Malala?’ He shot me on the left side of my head. I woke up 10 days later in a hospital in Birmingham, England. The doctors and nurses told me about the attack and that people around the world were praying for my recovery,” she said.
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This did not deter the activist as she continued with her fight after moving to the United Kingdom – a fight that birthed the Malala Fund.
“It was then I knew I had a choice: I could live a quiet life or I could make the most of this new life I had been given. I was determined to continue my fight until every girl could go to school. With my father, who has always been my ally and inspiration, I established the Malala Fund, a charity dedicated to giving every girl an opportunity to achieve a future she chooses,” she said.
Malala continued with her studies and enrolled in Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxford University in 2018 and graduated in 2020. She continues with her activism work as she ensures that all girls receive 12 years of free and quality education through her foundation.
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Furthermore, Malala travels around the world to meet girls fighting poverty, wars, child marriage and gender discrimination. The fund invests in developing countries’ activists and educators, and also holds leaders accountable for the promises they make to girls.
Malala is appealing to the public to join her in her fight by donating to the fund. “With more than 130 million girls out of school today, there is more work to be done. Together, we can create a world where all girls can learn and lead,” she said.
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