Kainat and Shazia: Why A World at School and our teachers are so important

Kainat Riaz and Shazia Ramzan are both Global Youth Ambassadors for A World at School 国产视频� and both agree there is nothing more powerful than books and words.

The girls, who survived an armed Taliban assault in Pakistan in 2012, have promised they will do two things to change the world during their time at school in the United Kingdom. They will try to become doctors and they will fight for girls国产视频� education.

Kainat and Shazia were both injured in the same bus attack as their close friend Malala Yousafzai but the experience and the aftermath has made them determined to speak up for education, particularly girls国产视频� education. The pair are now students at Atlantic College in Wales, where there are 90 nationalities represented, and they recently joined A World at School国产视频檚 team for the launch of our Up For School Petition in London.

Before joining Nobel Peace Prize winner Kailash Satyarthi and Gordon Brown on stage at the South Bank Centre, they agreed to become guest editors of the AWAS website and tell our website what they thought was crucial in trying to achieve universal education for all.

Kainat and Shazia with other friends of Malala in Oslo

Shazia said: 国产视频淵ou start with one person. If we can change the mindset of that one person, they can change the mindset of another person, maybe even in the same family, then others. Eventually you can change the world but there are so many barriers and issues such as racism.

国产视频淎 World at School is so important. We enjoy reading girls国产视频櫬� blogs from other countries and we love reading about inspirational teachers.国产视频�

And do they have one or more teachers at their college who they think are inspirational?

国产视频淥h yes,国产视频� Kainat said: 国产视频淐olin Brown and Adrian Rainbow are fantastic teachers. Colin inspires us every day. The school is an amazing place. It is so exciting to learn about other cultures.国产视频�

Kainat recently told a newspaper: 国产视频淚 really want to become a gynaecologist because in our society there are lots of male doctors but not female doctors and in our religion the women can国产视频檛 show their bodies to men.

Kainat and Shazia with their friend Malala

国产视频淏ut I also want to join other charity groups, especially focusing on girls国产视频� and boys国产视频� education. For me, education is like light 国产视频� without light you can国产视频檛 see anything.国产视频�

国产视频淚 think, if we speak up, then other people will follow us,国产视频� added Shazia. 国产视频淭hey will think: Look, they went out of the country but still they国产视频檙e getting an education. Still, they国产视频檙e going to be doctors. They国产视频檙e still doing their job.国产视频�

Both Kainat and Shazia have had a whirlwind month. They went to Oslo to see their friend Malala collect her shared Nobel prize with Kailash, before they returned to the Swat Valley in Pakistan to see family. They returned to Wales just two weeks ago to restart their studies.

Kainat added: 国产视频淪ometimes we miss our home but we have cool friends here and we speak to Malala on the telephone regularly.国产视频�