The Challenges Of Malala Yousafzai
She was born on July 12, 1997, in Pakistan (Nobel Prize) and began writing a blog at the age of eleven under the name “Gul Makai” and showed what life was like going to school against the Taliban in Pakistan (Mic). On October 29, 2012, when she was 15 years old, a militant boarded her school bus and exclaimed “Who is Malala.” He opened fire on Malala, and 2 of her friends, injuring them too. She was very lucky to survive a possibly lethal injury. The bullet hit her left eyebrow and traveled the length of the side of her head. Luckily, it did not damage her skull or brain, and finally ended up in her shoulder. She received surgery at the Pakistani military hospital, and then traveled to the UK where she received further treatment. After receiving cochlear implants to repair damage to her hearing, she was discharged from the hospital in January 2014 (BBC News). This attempt to silence her was not successful, and Malala continues to stand up for education …show more content…
She first began writing at the age of 11, describing her day-to-day life under the Taliban. The taliban destroyed schools, leaving students without access to education. All the chaos created fear amongst children and their families, forcing upon them a tough decision, whether to go to school and risk their lives, or stay home (I am Malala). Malala wrote that she especially hated it when her class was shrinking in size because students were terrified to come to school in fear of what could happen to them (BBC News). She has also written an autobiography called I am Malala where she describes what it was like living in danger. This was one of the first times anyone had written truthfully about life under the Taliban. Her first major public appearance was in front of the United Nation’s Youth Assembly on her 16th birthday where she delivered a moving speech. She is famous for saying at this event, “Let’s pick up our books and pens, they are our most powerful weapons. One child, one teacher, one pen, and one book can change the world. Education is the only solution. Education first.” (A World at School). During this address, she also mentioned how she is known as a forgiving person. She stated, “I do not even hate the Taliban member who shot me. Even if there is a gun in my hand and he