IAM MALALA.
I have recently stumbled upon for Malala Yousefzai's book, IAM MALALA. The book is only a few pages long and I thought why not. I happen to be in the house the whole day so I might as well. The book details her story from hee life as a young to a Nobel Laurate. When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, one girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an education.
On Tuesday, October 9, 2012, when she was fifteen, she almost paid the ultimate price. She was shot in the head at point-blank range while riding the bus home from school, and few expected her to survive.
Instead, Malala’s miraculous recovery has taken her on an extraordinary journey from a remote valley in northern Pakistan to the halls of the United Nations in New York. At sixteen, she became a global symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest nominee ever for the Nobel Peace Prize.
These are the lessons I have learnt from her:
1. Speak up
“We realize the importance of our voices only when we are silenced.”
It can sometimes be easy to take the freedom to raise my voice, and especially the freedom to do so in safety, for granted. Malala reminds me that there are millions of girls and women without that luxury, and if we can do so must use our voices to make sure that those who are silenced can be heard. Women from marginalized communities, or even empowered women who still face hurdles in their day to day lives.
2. Seek education and take every other opportunity to broaden your knowledge of the world and its people.
In her book, Malala explains her understanding of the issues faced in her village. Water, food, education and the Taliban. She is very much in tune with her surroundings despite her young age at the time. Her knowledge when it comes to her cause reminds me that if I want to change something, I have to understand how it works in the first place. It’s clear that Malala understands the issues facing countries around the world preventing girls from accessing education, and it’s that knowledge that makes people listen up and take her seriously.
3. You are someone’s role model, behave like one.
In our day to day lives, we should hold ourselves to account. We should level up and act in a way that is responsible and not reckless. This is because we might not know who is watching, who is taking notes and most importantly who is aspiring to be like us. Hence the need to be on our best behavior always.
4. Be brave
“There’s a moment when you have to choose whether to be silent or to stand up.”
Malala’s story is one of immense courage. She has continued to fight for what she knows to be right in the face adversity that many could scarcely imagine, and she stands up time and time again against fear and threats and violence. The girl who fought for education and was shot by the Taliban did not stop at that. She continues through her Foundation the Malala Fund to fight for girl's and women's rights and the importance of girl's education.
I could go on and on about the many lessons I have garnered from her book but Malala’s reputation and works on education for girls precede her. My only hope is that her dream comes true.
“I believe we will see every girl in school in my lifetime”~Malala Yousufzai.