For my project, I decided to share my speech about Malala Yousafzai. I had fun with this assignment because her story inspires me and I love the work that she does.
Speech Script:
Take a second and picture this: You are someone who is very public about what they support or believe in. In fact, many people might even say you are slightly famous for how outspoken you are about your cause. One day, you pile into the school bus, one that will take you and your teammates to play a basketball game at Malcolm. You put in your headphones and start to listen to music, not even realizing that the unfamiliar driver has a gun in his pocket. You are halfway to your travel destination when the new driver pulls over on the side of the road, and takes the gun out of his pocket. Silence falls, and the man threatens to kill everyone on the bus unless you reveal yourself. With no choice, you stand up, arms raised, and show yourself to him. The last thing you see before he shoots you in the head are his stone cold eyes. His source of aggression towards you is because he is a part of a group that opposes your cause or belief. That group decided that you were too well known to be spreading an idea that they heavily disagree with and that you needed to be expected immediately. However, by God’s hand, you survive this murder attempt. Now ask yourself this question: would you continue to speak publicly about your cause, knowing that there are people out there wanting you dead? Now let’s be realistic, not many of us would want to keep preaching our beliefs to the world after someone tried to murder us. However, in the face of death and darkness, some might stand tall. END SLIDE
This is Malala Yousafzai. Malala was born on July 12th, 1997; to parents Toor Pekai and Ziauddin Yousafzai. She grew up in Mingora, Pakistan; where ever since she was a young, her father wanted his little girl to grow and succeed in the world, so he, a school owner, educated his daughter himself at his school. END SLIDE
In 2008, Malala’s life changed forever. Her hometown was taken over by extremists, called the Taliban, and one of the first things they did was ban the opportunity for girls to go to school. Malala was very distraught at the loss of not seeing her friends at school everyday, but she couldn’t sit idly by and give up her right to learn. She decided to take a stand and speak out on the issue of not allowing girls to go to school and learn. Malala stood tall at a local press club and asked the crowd a simple question, “How dare the Taliban take away my basic right to education?” Her speech reached many newspapers and television channels, and was eventually brought to the attention of the Institute for War and Peace Reporting Open Minds Pakistan youth programme. She was made a trainee and eventually became a peer educator for this institution. The British Broadcasting Company eventually reached out to her to write a blog about her life in Pakistan. By 2009, all girls schools were either closed down or blown up by the Talibans. Malala continued to speak out against the Talibans in favor of promoting female education and her name continued to speak across the globe. All of this attention she gained put her on the Taliban radars. The extremists immediately decided that she must die due to her “crimes”, so they constructed a plot to kill her. END SLIDE
On the ninth of October in 2012, a Taliban hitman shot Malala in the face. She was rushed to a military hospital by a helicopter where doctors immediately started the operation to save her life. It took the surgeons 5 hours to remove the bullet that had traveled through her left eye, right shoulder, and that was lodged near her spinal cord. Malala was said to have had a 70% chance of surviving this atrocity. Many doctors across the world, including the US, offered to help rehabilitate and treat Malala for her fatal injury. The UK took great care of this young activist at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, while the Pakistan government took care of medical bills to transportation for the family. Malala successfully recovered from her brutal attack more famous than ever. Many people around the world sent lots of love and prayers for Malala. Several celebrities gave a nod to this brave girl, including Madonna, who dedicated her song “Human Nature” to Malala. END SLIDE
After a murder attempt, Malala came back stronger than ever. She launched a charity called the Malala Fund which is dedicated to give girls across the globe an opportunity to strive in their futures. Malala’s work on her charity was recognized, so much so, that she received the Nobel Peace Prize in December 2014. Today she travels the world, making sure that young girls stories of discrimination and poverty are shared, and on top of that, she is studying at the university of Oxford, working hard to get her degrees in Politics, Economics, and Philosophy. Malala is a hard working, kind, intelligent, strong willed and spirited, and a resourceful young woman. END SLIDE
Good choice for this, Addi!