In Her First Video Statement, Malala Yousufzai Vows to Keep Fighting

Malala Yousufzai, the 15-year-old girl who just a few days ago had a titanium plate put in her skull as a result of being shot by the Taliban back in October, has released her first video statement — which was recorded on January 22 — via a PR firm a mere couple of hours after Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital announced that her surgery had been a success.

“Today you can see that I am alive,” Yousufzai says in the video, the only signs of her trauma being a slight stiffness on the left side of her face.

She goes on to thank her supporters and reaffirm her commitment to the fight for girls’ education:

“It’s just because of the prayers of people. Because all people — men, women, children — all of them have prayed for me. And because of all these prayers God has given me this new life, a second life. And I want to serve. I want to serve the people. I want every girl, every child, to be educated. For that reason, we have organized the Malala Fund.”

The Malala Fund, set up in late 2012 with the help of a $10 million donation from Pakistan, will help serve Yousufzai’s causes — the same causes that upsettingly made her a target for the Taliban in the first place. If you’ve been looking for the embodiment of bravery, perseverance and heroism, you can stop now because here she is.