Happy 18th Birthday, Malala Yousafzai

Happy 18th Birthday, Malala Yousafzai.

I will celebrate her again on October 2, 2015 when the film HE NAMED ME MALALA reaches theaters.

I am catching up on the internet, after traveling for the past eight months. Finally watched Malala's Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech given December 10, 2014:

Excerpt:

Though I appear as one girl, though I appear as one girl, one person, who is 5 foot 2 inches tall, if you include my high heels. (It means I am 5 foot only) I am not a lone voice, I am not a lone voice, I am many.

I am Malala. But I am also Shazia. I am Kainat. I am Kainat Soomro. I am Mezon. I am Amina. I am those 66 million girls who are deprived of education. And today I am not raising my voice, it is the voice of those 66 million girls.

The full transcript of her speech is here.

I agree with Malala. All girls should receive a secondary school education.

Please check out Daraja Academy of Kenya, a free secondary school for girls in Kenya that stole my heart when I volunteered at the school in 2011. Also please learn about Akshay Educational and Social Welfare Trust in Bodhgaya, India. I spent a day at the Spanish NGO's primary school earlier this year that serves untouchables (the lowest caste in India) and got to meet some of their alumni whose secondary school fees are paid for by the trust.

You can also join Malala's campaign here. Happy Birthday, Malala.