Voices from the Field (Post 3 of 5)

Change begins with listening.  

During site visits to Brazil, Pakistan, Tanzania, and Nigeria, we sat alongside Malala Fund and their in-country advocates, partners, girls, and community leaders to hear their thoughts on the transformative power of education. Spoken in five different languages, their words convey strength, courage, pride, and determination for a more promising future for all.

"So let us wage a global struggle against illiteracy, poverty and terrorism and let us pick up our books and pens. They are our most powerful weapons." 

—Malala Yousafzai

Education is a right for every child, yet more than 122 million girls are out of school today, limiting their ability to realize their full potential and pursue their dreams. With support from Malala Fund, locally-led organizations and advocates explain why they are working tirelessly to dismantle the barriers that prevent girls from accessing education.

“Education is not just a right. Education is a revolution. It is the way we reclaim power, dignity, and opportunity. And for me, seeing a girl who once doubted herself now standing tall, confident, and ready to pursue her dreams—that is the greatest reward we could ever ask for.”

—Naiara, Executive Coordinator of Odara, Brazil

“Education is a life changer. I want to see every girl go back to school whether she's dropped out or she's never been to school. I want to see all girls in school. To see them stand on their feet, empowered, educated.”

—Aisha, advocate with Education as a Vaccine, Nigeria

“I tell the girls to stand for themselves and listen to their voices. Then they have to know education is the door, the door which can unlock any opportunities in the world. Education can help you to go anywhere you want to go.”

—Salama, Executive Director of Hope 4 Young Girls, Tanzania

When girls receive an education, they are empowered to advocate for themselves, become leaders, fully participate in society, make informed decisions about their health, earn more money, and lead the way for a better future for all. Students proudly told us how education has already positively impacted their own lives. 

“I used to regard myself as an insignificant being, I could do nothing. But now, this has changed due to education and I see myself as someone, a person that can use her voice to bring about change in the country.” 

—Rumaisa'u, student and advocate with Centre for Girls’ Education, Nigeria

“Education is vital to me as a girl. It is the key to my life. When a girl gets an education, it becomes her tool for freedom.”

—Angel, student at Lekule Girls Secondary School in Longido, Tanzania

“Education is important because it transforms people from the inside out. Now I see my community, now that we have access to education, as a place where other girls and other people can see potential in me as someone who can reach new places.”

—Alice, student and member of Grupo Curumim, Brazil

“Education is like a light to me. It illuminates everything I do. It is the guiding light of my life, showing me the difference between right and wrong. I dream of advising other children from pastoralist families to be like me—to never give up. I advise them to be resilient, to endure the challenges, and to keep gaining the knowledge they need to solve the problems they face.”

—Riziki, student at Lekule Girls Secondary School in Longido, Tanzania

From local communities to the world at large, educating girls benefits everyone. It unlocks opportunity, fuels creativity, addresses systemic issues, boosts economies, and builds climate resiliency. Though realities and lived experiences differ around the world, Malala Fund and its local partners are united in the shared belief that education is freedom, and holds the key to a more equitable future. For four years, Pura has invested in Malala Fund’s work to advance girls’ education globally because we believe it is one of the most powerful ways to affect positive change.

“When you gain education, you receive a strength by which you can find solutions to everything. So if half our population does not attend school and is deprived of education, the community cannot progress. Therefore it is necessary that everyone should receive education. If a girl receives education she can not only improve her own life, she can also change the thinking of her family and her community.”

—Maham, member of Blue Veins, Pakistan

“I would like society to understand more that we must empower girls and give them greater access to education. That’s why I am happy to help—because I believe education brings positive results. Without education, there is poverty. So when girls are given access to education, we build families, nations, and countries that are strong.”

—Sud Said, advocate with Hope 4 Young Girls, Tanzania

“The true meaning of education, for me, is fostering critical consciousness that allows a child to see where they are in the society. What kind of systems surround them, and how can they challenge those systems to create a different, better world? Education is also the only path for us over here that allows women and girls to gain the financial independence that is needed for the empowerment and enablement of their ideas, their aspirations, and also a good quality life in the future.”

—Marvi, Founder and Program Director of Innovate Educate & Inspire Pakistan, Pakistan

“Girls are powerhouses and an education would take them places. Denying them education is like clipping out their wings, denying them the ability to fly and soar the world and exhibit their potential.”

—Maryam, advocate with Media Advocacy Program, Nigeria

“For myself and my daughters I want a better future. I want a better education for them. I want their dreams to not just stay a dream. “

—Parveen, student and advocate with Innovate Inspire & Educate Pakistan, Pakistan

Women, girls, and advocates like these inspire us every day. The Pura x Malala Fund Collection is a love letter to their courage, tenacity, and the futures they are building for themselves and their communities.