Once I had asked God for one or two extra inches in height, but instead he made me as tall as the sky, so high that I could not measure myself.

I thought that words and books and pens were more powerful than guns.

We must "Bring Back Our Girls" and support Nigerians working every day to create change. Please donate now to support Nigerian organizations educating and standing up for girls

My dream is to see every girl educated, in every country.

Extremists have shown what frightens them most. A girl with a book.

If he [the Talib] comes, what would you do Malalala? If you hit a Talib with your shoe, then there will be no difference between you and the Talib. You must not treat otherswith cruelty...you must fight others but through peace, through dialogue and through educationthen I'll tell him [the Talib] how important education is and that I even want education for your children as well that's what I want to tell you, now do what you want.

I've always been a daydreamer, and sometimes in lessons my mind would drift and I'd imagine that on the way home a terrorist might jump out and shoot me on those steps. I wondered what I would do. Maybe I'd take off my shoes and hit him, but then I'd think if I did that there would be no difference between me and a terrorist. It would be better to plead, 'OK, shoot me, but first listen to me. What you are doing is wrong. I'm not against you personally, I just want every girl to go to school.'