Malala Fund & an Education Hero
This article was originally published on April 18, 2016. We are sharing it with our new readers in hopes that it may inspire new thoughts and conversations with your family
The Malala Fund – created by an education hero
Education is an extremely important and influential aspect of our lives. It provides knowledge about the world we live in and benefits all those who are impacted by it. Many people spend 10 years in elementary and middle school, 4 years in high school, another 4 years in college, and some spend another several years in graduate school. Some children dislike school and, to them, the idea of waking up early each morning to go to school is not pleasant or something that they want to do. Malala Yousafzai is just the opposite of this type of person.
A native to Pakistan during a time when the Taliban military closed down her father’s school, Malala strongly spoke out for the right to an education, specifically for girls. She was raised to love school and was very passionate about education; nothing, even death threats, could make her back off. She stood strong to defend what she believed in, and fought for what was right. At age 14, she was awarded with Pakistan’s first National Youth Peace Prize for her efforts to provide Pakistani girls with a proper education. Malala became a nationally recognized and popular figure.The Taliban leaders disapproved of this, so they voted to kill her.
Malala was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman and was critically injured. The shooting upset many people all over the world, and increased support for her cause. Shortly after the shooting, the National Assembly of Pakistan ratified a Compulsory Education Bill in Pakistan and Malala succeeded in what she set out to accomplish. Along with her father, Malala set up the Malala Fund, a nonprofit meant to advocate for girls who are denied access to a formal education. The fund’s goals also include raising awareness about the situations these girls face, and inspiring girls to speak up for what they believe and then to challenge themselves to reach their potential. Malala has set a great example for everyone to follow. We applaud her important efforts.