It's been a breakthrough couple of days for Malala Yousafzai. After speaking publicly for the first time since her attack at the hands of the Taliban and announcing a new fund to support education for girls and women, the 15-year-old Pakistani shooting victim and activist had two separate surgical procedures to repair her skull and restore her hearing. She seems to be doing fine now, but she recorded this video (which was uploaded today) before her two surgeries:

It's the first time we've heard from Malala since she was shot in the head by Taliban gunmen for going to school. The Malala Fund, which continues her push to get more girls in school across the Middle East and Asia, has already drawn widespread support, including from the likes of Tina Brown and Angelina Jolie: 

Malala speaks! Hear from me and Angelina Jolie on our support for her new education fund thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/…

— Tina Brown (@TheTinaBeast) February 4, 2013

But Malala's comeback isn't just about the message of her emotional video. She had a titanium plate inserted into her skull and was fitted with a cochlear implant to restore hearing on her left side — a five-hour process. The multiple procedures are part of an extensive list of life-saving surgeries that doctors have performed, several of which saw Malala heading into a medically induced coma. "Both operations were a success and Malala is now recovering in hospital. Her medical team are 'very pleased' with the progress she has made so far," the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham said in a statement picked up by CNN. "She is awake and talking to staff and members of her family."

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Alexander Abad-Santos