MalalaYousafzai

"I speak not for myself but for those without voice... those who have fought fortheir rights... Their right to live in peace, their right to be treated with dignity, their right toequality of opportunity, their right to be educated."­Malala. Malala is a great person to me,but you might not know of her. So this is her story.

Malala Yousafzai was born on July 12, 1997, in Mingora, Pakistan. For the firstfew years of her life, her hometown remained a popular tourist spot that was known for itssummer festivals. However, the area began to change as the Taliban tried to take control.Malala went to her dad's school. After the Taliban started to attack girls schools, Malalagave a speech. "How dare the Taliban take away my basic right to education?"­ Malala.

In early 2009, Malala began blogging for the BBC about living under theTaliban's threats to her education. In order to hide her identity, she used the name GulMakai. But later on the taliban found out it was her.

When she was 14, Malala and her family learned that the Taliban had issued adeath threat against her. Malala thought that the taliban would not harm a child. On October9, 2012, on her way home from school, a man boarded the bus Malala was riding in anddemanded to know which girl was Malala. When her friends looked toward Malala, she wasgiven away. The man shot her with his gun hitting Malala in the left side of her head; thebullet then traveled down her neck. Two other girls were also injured in the attack.

The shooting left Malala in critical condition, so she was flown to Birmingham,England. Once she was in the United Kingdom, Malala was taken out of a medicallyinduced coma. Though she would require multiple surgeries—including repair of a facialnerve to fix the paralyzed left side of her face—she had suffered no major brain damage. In2013 she was back up and doing speeches.

Lastly, despite the Taliban's threats, Malala remains a staunch advocate for thepower of education. On October 10, 2013, in acknowledgement of her work, the EuropeanParliament awarded her the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. She has also beennominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. Should she win, she will be the youngest honoree inthe history of the award.