Malala and the Magic Pencil

Mingora, 2004: Malala was an ordinary girl growing up in Pakistan. She liked to sleep in late . . .

. . . she liked to go to school . . .

. . . and she liked to play with her siblings and friends.

Malala noticed that some local children had to look for food instead of go to school. And many girls did not go, even if they could afford it. Families expected women and teen girls to stay home to cook, clean, and care for their relatives.

When she was young, Malala's favorite TV show was about a boy with a magic pencil.

Malala dreamed of having a magic pencil of her own. With it, she could fix everyone’s problems. She wrote a letter to God praying for one.

Mingora, 2006: The magic pencil never came. But a frightening change did.

The Taliban is an extreme political and religious group. In Mingora, it burned anything used for watching movies or listening to music. The group believes women should be covered from head to toe while outside their homes.

Mingora, 2009: Eventually, the Taliban banned all girls from going to school. Malala did not understand.

Malala kept going to school in secret, with her father’s help. But if the Taliban caught her or her classmates, they could be badly harmed.

Malala lifted her pencil. It was not magic. But it was still powerful. With it, she wrote about her life and how it had changed since the Taliban arrived.

Through her father’s connections, Malala was able to have her writings published online by a major news company. People around the world read Malala’s words. They supported her choice to continue going to school.

Malala gave interviews to news stations as well. She spoke up for her right to education. Moved by her words, people pressured the Taliban to reopen schools for some girls.

After speaking out, the Taliban attacked Malala. Still, she never stopped using her words to fight for education for all. Malala knew that ordinary pens and ordinary voices could have the same power as a magic pencil.