One year ago, two days before the first ever International Day of the Girl, a man with a gun tried to silence a girl fighting for her education.

On October 9, 2012, Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head by members of the Taliban for speaking up and using her voice to fight for the right to an education. Malala’s wounds were felt around the globe, as other girls fighting for education hoped and prayed for her recovery. The students at Daraja Academy reacted to this event, and recorded a song to show Malala their support: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0v2cB4B2Cg

Daraja students have not forgotten about Malala’s bravery in using her voice. We celebrated Malala’s recovery and birthday in July. This year, on the first anniversary of the shooting, Daraja students are highlighting the importance of advocacy in their fight for an education and have decided to stand up, like Malala, and use their voices.

Girls reflected on questions like, what makes a girl so powerful and what does it mean to “be the change I wish to see in the word.” After fifteen minutes of a journaling-style free write exercise, Each girl took a marker to paper to visually represent their message about the power of girls to the world. The result was powerful:

Girl Statements1

“It is important for us to be loud and use our voices. We have things to say,” explained third year student, Irene W., “We will not be ignored.”

Girls proudly shared their exclamations with one another and explained their meanings. Older girls taught first year students about Malala and they learned about the worldwide movement about access to education for girls.

“I am glad that there are girls around the world who fight for school, like us. It is the most powerful tool,” reflected first year student, Barbara.

Girl Statements2

Daraja girls know how powerful and important it is to use their voices, and they are ready to yell their messages at the top of their lungs. One year later, Daraja girls still stand with you, Malala!

Join us in celebrating the second annual International Day of the Girl on Friday, October 11 by tuning into the Girls Speak Out webcast at 3 PM Eastern Time and 12 PM Pacific! Look out for a special message during the program from Daraja students!