Born in Mingora, Pakistan, a brave soul fought against the Taliban in Pakistan and demanded education for girls. Malala Yousafzai became an advocate for education of girls that resulted in the issue of a death threat against her by the Taliban. She was shot in the head in 2012 by a Taliban gunman. However, she was unstoppable and continued with her noble work. She was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 2013 and in 2014, she was re-nominated and she finally became the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.

Ziauddin Yosafzai, her father, had founded a school where Malala had received her early education. The Taliban had begun attacking numerous girls’ schools in Swat area of Pakistan. It was then that Malala decided to deliver a speech in Peshawar. Her talk was titled, “How dare the Taliban take away my basic right to education?” This is considered as her initial days of activism.

Malala continued to deliver many speeches about basic rights and also about the right of education for every woman in her country. Her works of activism earned her a nomination for the International Children’s Peace Prize 2011. She was also awarded Pakistan’s National Youth Peace Prize the same year.

However, Malala received a death threat because of her work. She was not concerned about herself but was deeply worried about her father who was an anti-Taliban activist. The family thought that the Taliban would not harm a child. But, they were wrong. On 9 October 2012, a masked gunman attacked the 15-year-old while she was returning from school. Malala was in the school bus along with her friends, when the gunman boarded the bus and asked for her. She was shot in the head. The attack also left two other girls injured.

Malala resides in Britain currently where she received medical treatment after she was shot. She is completing school in June after which, she is planning to study philosophy, politics and economics at university.

Malala continues to fight for the right to education and other rights for women. Her remarkable journey from a remote village in Pakistan to the United Nations in New York is simply extraordinary. She has achieved so many honours at such a young age. In 2014, aged 17, she became the youngest person to win a Nobel Peace Prize, and in April 2017, she became the youngest Messenger of Peace, the highest honour awarded by the United Nations.

She is a wonderful orator and that has landed her on the global stage as a regular speaker. She has visited numerous refugee camps to fight for the rights of women. Her dedication to work and the will to do something for the girls in this world have helped her to achieve so many titles at such a young age. She is definitely an inspiration for young girls everywhere.

Malala began to maintain a diary for the BBC’s Urdu service in which she provided complete details about how her life was badly affected by the Taliban. She spoke about her life with her peers. Her entries were written under the name ‘Gul Makai’, the name of a local heroine from a Pashtun folk tale. “If you want to see your future bright, you have to start working now [and] not wait for anyone else.”

Distinguished individuals are selected as UN Messengers of Peace from various fields ranging from literature, art, science, sports, entertainment or other public life fields. They work wholeheartedly to improve the lives of millions of people around the world. The United Nations is all set to achieve the fourth level of their developmental goals that states, “By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and Goal-4 effective learning outcomes.” Its main focus would be on the thought of providing free education that would further help in promoting the growth of the whole world as a whole. Dedicated people join hands to fulfil this mission for a better and an educated world. Education is the basic right of any individual and they should receive it at any cost.

Malala is one of those individuals who has dedicated her whole life to fight for the rights of women. She is proud to call herself a Muslim and stresses that Islam is a religion of peace. She is deeply disappointed that the media refers to her religion as “Islamic jihadists and Islamic terrorists.” She says that one should not judge a religion based on some people who demean it. On 14 July 2014, she appealed to the militants of Boko Haram to stop misusing the name of Islam.

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March, the month of exams is here. Stress is in the air. It is the time when students stay up nights with half a dozen cups of coffee to keep their eyes open. That is how students are, right? Opening their books at the last minute and wondering what is there in those fat, boring books. It always begins with planning of a very unrealistic timetable a week before exams. Of course, the timetable will never be followed and in the end there will be so much remaining to study that the only option that is left is skimming. Skim through important chapters, go through the very important concepts and you’re done. But does this happen ever? The answer is ‘no’. In the end the confused and tensed students just go through the important topics suggested by ten different people. Total mess and chaos are the results. But there is always a way to avoid this chaos.

Here are some tips to help you avoid the mess and score well in your examinations without having to sip multiple cups of coffee and stay awake all night.

Prepare a timetable

It is very important to prepare a proper timetable before starting your preparation for examinations. Plan the timetable yourself to help you to study what is required and what is not. Prioritize your subjects. Always spend maximum time on the subjects you are weak in. The tough subjects need a lot more time than the easier ones. Generally, students have the habit of leaving the tough ones until the last moment. Never do that. Start preparing for the subjects at a very early stage. The timetable should be prepared during the start of any session. If you follow it and study every day, you are definitely going to do well in your examinations.

Do not be confused about what to study

Reviewing plays a major part in preparing for examinations. When something is taught in class, come home and start reviewing it. If you do not understand something, get back to the class the next day and clear your doubts. This helps a lot in understanding complicated subjects. Use a highlighter to mark the important points that need to be memorized. Go through them again and again. During the examination, you will be able to literally visualize what you have studied and this will help you score good marks.

Get rid of that fear

Stress and fear are the major factors that stand as obstacles in the path of preparing for exams. Youngsters go on studying out of fear, “I have to score good marks or else what will others think of me?” Don’t be afraid of what others think of you. Do it for yourself and not for others. Once you get rid of that fear, things will start falling in the right place. Many students work really hard to score good marks in the exams but it is quite essential to understand that everybody does not have the same potential. This fact needs to be understood by parents, too, so that they stop pressurizing their children to secure the top most position. Parents should always be supportive of their children and help to boost their level of confidence. Once your confidence level is high, no one can stop you in your life’s endeavours.

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Rejected by five MNCs, yet with a desire to create her own identity, she created various milestones in her life. Young Pallavi Singh had come all the way from Delhi to make her living in Mumbai. From teaching 500+ expats/foreigners to being retained by six consulates to teach Hindi as a foreign language to their staff and family members, Pallavi has been in the limelight since 2011. She has taught each kind, from Bollywood backdrop dancers and models to students, official diplomats and foreigners married to Indians. Her proud additions to the list are author and historian William Dalrymple, actress Jacqueline Fernandez, singer Natalie Di Luccio and model Lucinda Nicholas. Sanchari Banerjee spoke to this young entrepreneur.

TTT: Tell us about your journey; when and how did it start?
Pallavi: The Indian education system is about “stamping” people instead of enabling them. Inevitably, everyone solicits these stamps. I could not make it to one. It was pretty clear that no major corporate was interested in me; neither was my education helping as a catalyst to make way for me. Ironically, I went to the second best Arts college in the whole of India, but that’s exactly what it was — “Arts” not “Tech”. It was crystal clear that I would have to create my own means of employment. And I was not willing to wait until 30 years of age to see any money (Read — payscale(s) in the employment sector in India). Hence this sowed the seed for “teaching Hindi” back in August 2011.

TTT: When we Indians are being influenced by western culture, what influenced you to teach Hindi?
Pallavi: Hindi is my native language; I speak the language in and out. I am from Delhi, which is the heartland of Hindi. This is my asset and I believe in capitalizing on existing talents rather than chasing new ones.

As for influence, I think it is just sad — because there is clearly a “pick and choose” pattern to it. Do we watch season after season of American/British TV shows? Sure! Do we ape the civilian behaviour towards people/friends? No. Do we copy the lifestyle patterns (read, visiting bars, dating, etc.)? Sure! Do we necessarily understand the underlying societal norms behind those? Probably not. Do people misconceive western society by watching say American Pie? Sure! Is there any effort to perceive people as they are and get to know them and hence their culture? Not so much.

TTT: All your students say that you use interesting methods to teach them. What are the methods that attract them?
Pallavi: I always employ humour and engage my students in various creative activities. There is no “list” per say. It is a module designed to probe various everyday language requirements. I am extremely informal; I believe that helps.

TTT: How do you connect with your foreign students despite the fact they do not understand the native language of India?
Pallavi: I always start with “Where are you from?” and “Why are you here?” I do not think a lot is required to connect with people. As long as you are a reasonably decent person with a good ear and a little bit of compassion, it is pretty damn easy.

TTT: Retained by various consulates to teach Hindi to their staff and family members, how do you manage your busy schedule?
Pallavi: I know that I live in a city where you need a lot of planning to travel from one place to another. I calibrate my day very carefully. I am almost never late. And I hate to say it, but I guess people in Mumbai are dangerously comfortable with blaming the traffic every time they are late. It is not that hard to estimate.

TTT: How different is it to be a speaker at TEDx, the global platform to share ideas?
Pallavi: It was a bigger name, sure. I prepare equally for every event, as I do not believe in stamps. It is not different for me but the platform is global and people recognize you more. It adds on to your credentials. I’m grateful to have received the opportunity.

TTT: How different is the feeling of teaching a celebrity?
Pallavi: Scheduling a class is definitely a tough task as their lifestyles are very different. Teaching as such is the same really. Same concepts to be taught with equal enthusiasm and efficiency.

TTT: Where do you see yourself five years from now?
Pallavi: I do not know. I can give you a nice fancy illusionary answer but that would be lying. I have immediate personal plans but no professional plans. Plans never work out. I would like to see myself on a global platform, so we’ll see if, how and when that happens.

TTT: Your advice for our young readers.
Pallavi: Do not direct your life as to how people suggest it should be. Follow your compass, whatever it is. There is a lot of manipulation in our society (oh yes!) but follow your gut. Push your boundaries — the bigger the risk, the bigger the return. And be sensible — work your strengths.

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