The Swat Valley in Pakistan is Switzerland on the other side of the world, with snowy mountains, lush green valleys, and large glaciers. However, the region's nature, landscapes, and culture are not the only things that have brought fame to this area. Malala Yousafzai is a girl who sought change and compelled the world to pay attention to the situation in her homeland and her own life.

Malala was born when dawn broke over the valley, and the last star had faded away. It was considered a favorable sign by the Pashtuns. She was born in a country where the sound of gunfire celebrates the birth of a son while daughters are hidden behind curtains. For most Pashtuns, the birth of a daughter is a gloomy day. The task of women in many South Asian countries is to bear children and prepare food. They do not aspire to anything else. Malala's family was different. Her father, Ziauddin, knew she was special. He even asked friends to throw candies, dried fruits, and coins into the crib, a practice usually reserved for boys. “Look at this girl,” Ziauddin told his friends. “She is destined for the skies!”

The Pashtuns are composed of many tribes divided between Pakistan and Afghanistan. They are proud and live by the motto, "Without honor, the world counts for nothing." These people fear shame the most. Therefore, the parents named the girl in honor of Malalai from Maywand, the greatest heroine of Afghanistan. All Pashtun children grow up knowing how Malalai inspired the Afghan army to victory over the British in 1880. It was one of the largest battles of the Second Anglo-Afghan War. Malalai went to the battlefield with other women from the village to care for the wounded and bring them water. She saw their men losing, and when the flag-bearer fell, she raised her white veil high and walked onto the battlefield in front of the troops. The British killed the girl during the heavy shelling, yet her bravery inspired the men to change the course of events. It was one of the most significant defeats of the British army.

Unfortunately, wars do not end. When Ziauddin, Malala’s father, was only 12 years old, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. At that time, Sufi Mohammad, a Pakistani cleric and militant, sought young people to fight the Russians in the name of Islam. Some people agreed and set out, armed with old hunting rifles or axes and grenade launchers. Many years later, that organization would become known worldwide as the Swat Taliban.