Malala Yousafzai: Pakistani Activist for Female Education
Life in Mingora Malala Yousafzai was born on July 12 1997 in Mingora the largest city in Pakistan’s Swat District District Swat is in northwestern Pakistan It is the upper valley of the Swat River The area is known for its gorgeous gorgeous scenery dramatic mountains clear air lush meadows meadows and fast-flowing rivers Its natural beauty made Swat a popular destination for tourists Malala’s father Ziauddin and her mother Tor Pekai are from Shangla a village in the mountains of Swat They moved to Mingora after they got married Ziauddin founded the Khushal School in Mingora He had to work hard and the school made little money in the beginning but he believed deeply in the importance of education Ziauddin also believed in the value of girls He ignored customs that favored sons over daughters For example only males are traditionally listed on family trees in Pakistan But Ziauddin broke with tradition and included Malala’s name 6
The Swat Valley is known for its dramatic landscapes It is home to a diverse mix of plants and animals The region is also famous for its delicious fruits and beautiful handicrafts
Her family is very important to Malala second from right While she is closest to her parents and brothers she also enjoyed time with her extended family as she was growing up
Like most people in Swat Malala’s family is Pashtun The Pashtun people live in Pakistan and Afghanistan They have a long proud history history and a traditional code of behavior called the Pashtunwali Malala was named after the Pashtun heroine Malalai a teenage girl who rallied Afghan troops fighting against the British British in the Battle of Maiwand Malala spent much of her early childhood childhood playing with neighborhood kids or at her father’s school Even before she was old enough to be a student she loved spending time there She watched television and played cricket with her younger brothers Khushal and Atal They sometimes squabbled as siblings siblings do The Yousafzai house was usually full of friends and relatives and young Malala loved the chatter and busyness The family would leave Mingora twice each year to visit relatives in Shangla for the Eid al-Ahda and Eid al-Fitr holidays Malala loved Shangla and these visits but seeing the limited opportunities for women in the village made her happy she lived in Mingora 9
