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“I want every
girl, every
child, to be
educated.
Those without
a voice will
be heard.”
Malala Yousafzai
what really keeps up driving
forward.
CG: You’ve had a HUGE impact
so far. When was this young fund
founded?
Shiza: The Malala Fund is only
one year old. We are still a
startup. People think we are
much bigger than we are. We are
a small team of incredible people
who want to make a real
difference in education.
Operating out of New York City
is also a great spot for us. It’s the
intersection of media,
philanthropy and innovation.
CG: What challenges did you
face getting it off the ground?
Shiza: We face several
challenges and we understand
they can’t be solved overnight.
It’s a marathon, not a sprint.
When you’re in a startup it’s like
driving a car while building it.
It’s doing everything all at once.
We need to constantly be
thinking with this incredible
platform, how to get the
greatest amount of change and
the greatest amount of impact.
We focus on the strengths of our
organization and develop a
structure we need to be
successful. The most important
thing is to not get distracted by
all the possibilities. We have to
be incredibly focused and always
supporting girls education.
CG: You’re obviously very
passionate about the Malala Fund
and empowering girls.
Shiza: Yes, I grew up and had
great education but so many girls
don’t have this opportunity. I
know that when girls feel
empowered through learning and
through intervention, they are
more likely to earn an income
and have better lives. The Malala
Fund focuses a lot on secondary
education, which in Pakistan
begins from grade nine and lasts
for four years. There is a lot of
work to do in this space because
it has not gotten a lot of attention.
Girls are dropping out quickly
and often they get married
instead. The silver bullet, in this
case, is girls’ education.
CG: Who are your partners and
how do they fit in with the
Malala Fund?
Shiza: We work entirely with
partners who support our goal of
creating a world where every girl
reache