As has been the norm, Pakistanis have left no stone un-turned in criticizing Malala for being defiant of the Taliban and their brutal activities regarding women’s access to education. However, fortunately, standing unflinching in the face of hatred is Malala’s forte. The day before yesterday was her 19th birthday and unlike normal teens, she spent the entire day visiting and meeting the refugees at Dadaab, Kenya. Dadaab is the world’s largest refugee camp in Kenya, harboring more than 300,000 refugees from Somalia.
Each year, Malala spends her birthday traveling to countries where girls’ access to education is greatly restricted.
Last year, the brave kid spent her 18th birthday opening a school for girls in Syria, living in informal camps. Her 17th birthday was all about championing #BringBackOurGirls campaign in Nigeria for the abducted school girls. While on her 16th birthday, she addressed the United Nations and requested for a worldwide access to education. In short, the list of accomplishments just goes on as this girl never ceases to make us proud.
This year, she fearlessly voiced her concern over Kenya’s plan of shutting Dadaab down by 2017.
She warns the Kenyan government as well as the entire world that if the refugee camp closes down, a significant number of girls will be unable to acquire education, back in their home country Somalia.
Moreover, this year, Malala Yousafzai has also launched a new campaign aimed at promoting opportunities, called #YesAllGirls.
And her 19th birthday (and all her previous birthdays for that matter) was a living testimony to it.
As Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg said and we quote: “Most people think about what they can get on their birthdays — but true to the extraordinary person she is, Malala thinks about what she can give.”
Let us just stop being infuriated by this little girl spreading good for no matter how much you criticize her, she has done it again. Hah! You go girl.
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