He Named Me Malala #WithMalala

A few years ago, the media was all abuzz with the story of a young girl in Pakistan that was gunned down and left for dead by the Taliban because she dared to speak out about girls needing an education. I remember thinking at the time what a brave girl. I followed her story closely as she was transferred to England for recovery. Her injuries were extensive as most gunshot to the head are. You would think that her story would end there, but it doesn’t.

In fact, something so horrible has been turned into something that is amazing.

The girl’s name is Malala. And she has become an advocate for education for all children. I was given the opportunity to preview the National Geographic film, He Named Me Malala, and I am so glad that I did. First because it addressed the stereotypes that we have on Muslims. Who knew that there are people in their country that are vocally against the Taliban? Second, this young lady is an encouragement to us all. She could have been bitter about what happened to her. Instead, she embraces it and uses it to achieve a better world.

The movie is very entertaining. I love how they use animation in part of the story so that people young and old can relate. It is also very moving especially the scenes toward the end. I  loved seeing how she interacts with her family, especially her two younger brothers.

This movie will be shown on the National Geographic Channel, commercial free,  on Monday, February 29 at 8 pm. In conjunction with this movie, there is a social media campaign going on right now that I hope you will take part in to raise awareness for the education of girls. We are so lucky that our children can all go to school, but in some countries, girls are not valued. If you use Twitter, you can tweet using #withMalala.

I will promise you that this is one story that will inspire you. Look at the brief summary of the movie.

HE NAMED ME MALALA is an intimate portrait of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai, who was targeted by the Taliban and severely wounded by a gunshot when returning home on her school bus in Pakistan’s Swat Valley. The then 15-year-old was singled out, along with her father, for advocating for girls’ education, and the attack on her sparked an outcry from supporters around the world. She miraculously survived and is now a leading campaigner for girls’ education globally as co-founder of the Malala Fund. Acclaimed documentary filmmaker Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth, Waiting for Superman) shows us how Malala, her father Zia and her family are committed to fighting for education for all girls worldwide. The film gives us an inside glimpse into this extraordinary young girl’s life – from her close relationship with her father who inspired her love for education, to her impassioned speeches at the UN, to her everyday life with her parents and brothers.

Here is a little sneak peek for you.