It goes without saying that Malala Yousafzai, the youngest recipient of the Noble Peace Prize, is quite an inspiration. But if you thought she was done putting in work for her community, then you were wrong. While many choose to have a party or go out with friends on their 18th birthday, Malala chose to celebrate hers by opening a school in Lebanon for Syrian refugees. And if that doesn’t take your breath away, I don’t know what will.
Malala has been an activist for education and women’s rights since she was 11 and began blogging about her life under Taliban rule. In 2012, she gained worldwide recognition when she miraculously survived a gunshot to the head and neck during a Taliban assassination attempt. Rather than allow this near-death experience to haunt her, she has used this to fuel her energy in trying to create change. Clearly, this energy will carry on even into adulthood.
“Today on my first day as an adult, on behalf of the world’s children, I demand of leaders we must invest in books instead of bullets,” Malala said in a speech.
With the help of The Malala Fund, a non-profit that provides grants for organizations which aim to empower girls through education, Malala was able to open a school close to the Syrian border which will welcome up to 200 girls aged 14 to 18.
Currently, Lebanon is home to over a million Syrian refugees and only a fifth of the refugee children are receiving formal education. And this is where Malala’s school comes in.
“This is the mission we have taken for the last 8-9 years,” Malala’s father proudly explained. “A small moment for the education of girls in Swat Valley: it is spreading now all over the world.”
Feature image courtesy of NBC News.
