Filmmaker: Adam Ellick

Pakistan's Swat Valley has been beset by a civil war between Taliban extremists and government troops. The fighting has turned the beautiful valley upside-down, and has forced nearly 200,000 people from their homes.

Schoolgirl's Odyssey follows Malala, a Pakistani schoolgirl and her father as the deteriorating security situation forces them to leave their home in the Swat Valley.

But what is even worse for the family is that, due to the Taliban restrictions on education for girls, Malala is stripped of her education and her father loses his livelihood – he runs a well-respected girls' school.

Filmmaker Adam Ellick travels with the family as they flee Swat and try to find safety. And he is still filming with them when the situation improves after a major assault by the Pakistani army and they are able to return – not knowing what they will find.

Through the eyes of this articulate and engaging schoolgirl we see the devastation wrought on schools, towns and people alike by the struggle for the souls of the people of the Swat Valley.

But we are also able to appreciate the indomitable spirit of this intelligent young girl who, together with her peers, will be the future of Pakistan.

This episode of Witness aired from Sunday, 24 January, 2010.