Malala with her father before leaving for their trip. Photo: Geo News

BIRMINGHAM: Education and rights activist Malala Yousafzai, along with her father Ziauddin Yousafzai, is off to the Middle East to celebrate her 20th birthday with internally displaced girls from conflict-ridden areas.

Malala, who was shot by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan terrorists in 2012 in her hometown of Swat, Pakistan, joined Twitter a few days ago and informed her followers about her plans.

Following the brutal attack on her, Malala was moved to the UK where she underwent surgery and subsequently settled with her family, pursuing her education. Having graduated this summer, the young role model may pursue higher education at Oxford University.

Designated the UN Messenger of Peace in 2017, Malala has advocated education from a very young age, by speaking against the Taliban and making efforts to keep girls in school through the Malala Fund and other initiatives.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner also plans on taking more ?Girl Power Trips? to Africa and Latin America later this summer.

She was born on July 12, 1997 and rose to fame by authoring a blog as a young student while Swat was under occupation of militants in 2007.