Friday, November 15, 2013

The Malala Fund: Education

Ashley Wells, CC Liu, Wisdom Quarterly; Stacy Jones (fastcompany.com)

When Shiza Shahid was a student at Stanford University, she saw a YouTube video of a young, female Pakistani education advocate. Shahid reached out to the girl's father and organized a week-long camp for the girl and a handful of others, putting them in touch with women who could act as mentors. The girl's name was Malala Yousafzai -- and a little over a year ago, the Taliban tried to assassinate her [by shooting her in the head, but she survived to make it onto the Daily Show with Jon Stewart]. 

Shiza Shahid and Malala (fastcompany.com)
When Shahid got word of the shooting, she flew to Birmingham, England, where 15-year-old Malala was hospitalized, and acted as buffer between the family and the onslaught of media attention that ensued. "I saw the evolution from when the doctors said she was going to die, to when the doctors said she was going to lose her voice," she recalls. "Then to see her wake up and be so healthy and unchanged and strong and whole -- it was a miracle." [All credit to merciful Allah, Malala's god]. The 24-year-old has spent the past year harnessing all of the energy and emotion surrounding Malala and converting it into the driving force behind The Malala Fund. More

No comments: