Turning 18 is a big milestone for many people and for one, it is an opportunity to help out those who are in need.
Malala Yousafzai, the youngest Nobel Peace Prize recipient turned 18 on Sunday and celebrated this milestone in Lebanon by opening up a school for Syrian refugees in Bekaa Valley, near the Syrian border.
According to her statement to Reuters, she chose to celebrate her birthday in Lebanon because she believes it's time for the voices of the refugees to be heard.
She also called to leaders to invest more in books instead of bullets with her online campaign "#booksnotbullets."
"Today on my first day as an adult, on behalf of the world's children, I demand of leaders we must invest in books instead of bullets," she said in her speech.
The school in Bekaa Valley was paid for by The Malala Fund, a not-for-profit organization that fosters local education. It will offer secondary education to over 200 Syrian refugee girls, between 14 and 18 years old.
In her statement, Malala said she stands in behalf of the millions of children who are denied of education due to armed conflict and poverty.
She added that the "courage and dedication" of these children to continue school despite difficulties serve as an inspiration to the world.
The teen's organization also announced a $250,000-worth grant given to UNICEF and the UN refugee agency to compensate for the lack of funds in educational programs in a refugee camp in Azraq, Jordan, as reported in CTV News.
In 2012, Malala was shot in the head by the Taliban, while advocating education for girls. She continued her campaign and was awarded the Nobel in 2014 and has since then became a symbol of defiance.
Despite transitioning from teen to adulthood, Malala said she is determined to keep becoming the "voice of children."
According to her empowering statement, children will read books and will discover new things and ideas. She encourages them to learn and dream together and become an inspiration to the world.
