awards
Malala’s Nobel Peace Prize: A well deserved recognition
I’m so thrilled that my ‘role model’, the brilliant and courageous Malala Yousufzai won the Nobel Peace Prize 2014. A million congratulations to her. I’m very moved and inspired by her fearless fight to defend girls’ rights to education around the world. I remember that Malala has once been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize before which she didn’t win. I’m glad that she won it this time. She really deserved it.
Malala and the Indian children’s rights activist, Kailash Satyarthi were jointly awarded the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize for their “struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education.” Malala wining the award is tremendously remarkable because she is the youngest person ever to be awarded a Nobel Prize, at the age of 17. To think that she’s my age mate though. I hope I get the opportunity to defend human rights fearlessly on an international level like she’s doing. Well, I’m contributing my little bit with this blog.
I remember when Malala visited Nigeria over the kidnapped Chibok girls. I was very inspired by her genuine care for these girls. She referred to them as ‘my sisters’ and promised their parents she would speak to the President on their behalf, which she did.
I respect Malala’s incredible work and struggle for the girl child education around the world. This Nobel Peace Prize is indeed a well deserved recognition.
Malala Yousafzai: A young girl on a mission
I have a great admiration for the young Pakistani girl activist, Malala Yousafzai. I get so inspired watching or reading about her remarkable works and acheivements at such a young age.
Malala was born in Mingora, Pakistan on 12th July, 1997. She is a blogger and fierce activist for girls rights to education in Pakistan and around the world.
HER STORY
Malala Yousafzai actively spoke up since a very young age of 11 about the Taliban’s efforts to prevent young girls in Pakistan from getting an education. (The Taliban is a radical Islamic terrorist organization operating in Pakistan that banned girls education and attacked schools were girls learned). In early 2009, at the age of 11–12, despite the immense danger, she agreed to write for the BBC detailing her life under Taliban rule, their attempts to take control of the Swat valley where she lived, and her views on promoting education. In 2008, while addressing a Local press club, Malala, she said, “how dare the Taliban attempt to take away my right to education…” in a speech that was widely televised around the region. Malala, the fearless young girl continued her activisim despite repeatedly receiving death threats from the radical Taliban.
In the afternoon of Tuesday, 9 October 2012, Malala boarded her school bus in the northwest Pakistani district of Swat. A gunman asked for Malala by name, then pointed a gun at her and fired three shots. One bullet hit the left side of Malala’s forehead, traveled under her skin the length of her face and then into her shoulder.
In the days immediately following the attack, she remained unconscious and in critical condition, but later her condition improved enough for her to be sent to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, England for intensive rehabilitation.
Malala recovered remarkably and continued her activism relentlessly. Since then, she has attracted a lot of attention from the world and gained my admiration. She has received numerous awards and nominations. In 29 April 2013 issue of Time magazine, Malala was featured on the magazine’s
front cover and as one of “The 100 Most Influential People in the World”. She was the winner of Pakistan’s first National Youth Peace Prize and was nominated for the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize. She was the youngest person (at
age 16) to be nominated for it.
On 12 July 2013, She spoke at the UN to calling for worldwide access to education, and in September 2013 she officially opened the Library of Birmingham. She received the 2013 Sakharov Prize from the European Parliament. She has also received a Honorary citizenship from the Canadian Government. In February 2014, she was nominated a second time for the Nobel Peace Prize and for the World Children’s prize in Sweden.
Malala has also met the Queen. She presented the Queen with her book, “I Am Malala”.
The remarkable Malala established the Malala Fund that supports thousands of girls around the world in their dreams to get a good education. The Star actress, Philanthropist, Angelina Jolie donated $200,000 in support of the fund.
…showing support to girls around the world…
In february this year, Malala travelled to a Syrian refugee camo in Jordan to show support to a young Syrian girl, Mizune, trying to get children back to school .
More recently, she supported the bring back our girls campaign in Nigeria. The campaign is aimed at trying to bring back girls kidnapped by a radical islamic group, Boko Haram who are against Education.
Malala is truly on a mission and she’s entirely focused. I respect and admire the courage of this young girl who has made herself the voice of millions of girls in the world, especially in developing countries, who are deprived of education. Being just about two months older than Malala and sharing similar visions with her, I am tremendously inspired by her work and achievement.
Education is a basic human right for children and no one should have the power to take it away from them. No one should have the power to snatch away the dreams of these young children.
… and as Malala will say, “give the children a book and a pen, therein lies their strength.”
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