Malala Yousfzai is alive, well, and continuing her fight for the right to be educated. The 14-year-old girl from Pakistan’s Taliban controlled region, Swat Valley, was shot in the head by the Taliban for “promoting Western culture” on October 10, 2012.  Malala has now made a full recovery.  She gained international attention after the assassination attempt, sparking a global conversation about education for women in developing countries.

“I’m feeling alright and I’m happy that the operations, both the operations, were successful,” Malala said to Dr. Mav Manji, the Critical Care specialist at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, according to The New York Times. 

According to BBC News, titanium crainoplasty surgery repaired the missing area of her skull with specially molded titanium, led by neurosurgeon Dr. Anwen White. Following the surgery, Malala regained hearing in her left ear with the aid of a cochlear implant, effectively reversing the damage caused by a stray bullet.
According to The New York Times, Malala attributes her survival and full recovery to the prayers of her supporters.
“Because of these prayers, God has given me this new life. And this is a second life; this is a new life. And I want to serve, I want to serve the people,” Malala said.
Malala remains focused and committed to her fight for education,  in spite of of mounting international dangers from extremist groups like the Taliban. Her story inspires supporters around the world.
“Malala displayed incredible courage by speaking out to support education for girls. Her recovery has also been remarkable and does not seem to have diminished her goal of raising awareness about this cause,” Convent of the Sacred Heart Academic Dean Class of ’14, ’16 and Network Exchange Coordinator for the Upper School Mrs. Jenn Bensen said.
Now that Malala has recovered, the Pakastini teenager faces death threats and pressure from the Taliban to back down. In spite of this, Malala announced the formation of a new fund to support girls’ education, exclusively focused on educating girls in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The Malala Fund was set up by the international organization, Vital Voices. The fund was established in the hopes of promoting the prosperity, equality, and education of women in their communities. The first grant from the Malala Fund will go to an organization in the Swat Valley, Pakistan, Malala’s home region.
According to the BBC, the organization Vital Voices said, “We established the Malala Fund on behalf of Malala and her family, working together with supporters of the cause, including the United Nations Foundation and Girl Up, and within a community of supportive organizations and individuals, to realize Malala’s vision of education for all girls.”
At the current time Malala is doing very well and her condition is continuing to improve.
 
– Hannah Godvin and Maddie Pillari, Co-news editors