marie claire

Malala Yousafzai Marks Her 18th Birthday By Opening A School For Girls

marie claire

Updated 13 July 2015 at 12:20 am

Malala Yousafzai has opened a school for girls in Lebanon. Photo: Getty Images

Nobel Peace Prize winner and activist Malala Yousafzai has celebrated her 18th birthday by opening a school for Syrian refugee girls, calling on world leaders to stop 'failing' the people of Syria.

"Today on my first day as an adult, on behalf of the world's children, I demand of leaders we must invest in books instead of bullets," Malala said in a speech at the opening.

“I am here on behalf of the 28 million children who are kept from the classroom because of armed conflict.

“Their courage and dedication to continue their schooling in difficult conditions inspires people around the world and it is our duty to stand by them."

The school, which will take in girls aged between 14 and 18, is located in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, close to the Syrian border.

"I decided to be in Lebanon because I believe that the voices of the Syrian refugees need to be heard and they have been ignored for so long," she told Reuters of the school.

Lebanon is home to over a third of the four million refugees that have fled the war in Syria, with around 500,000 of these refugees being school-age children.

Only around a fifth of these are currently receiving formal education.

Malala Yousafzai Sends Message Of Support To Pakistan

Malala Yousafzai Collects Her Nobel Peace Prize

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