Sakena Yacoobi

I am working to make Afghanistan a healthier and better educated place for women and children. In Afghanistan- my country of birth, there is so much hope and potential for the people there.I want to see opportunity for all women to become educated in Afghanistan and to lead healthier lives. Dr. Sakena Yacoobi is Executive Director and founder of the Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL). Established in 1995 to provide education and health services to women and children, AIL has reached 12.5 million Afghans and now provides services to 400,000 Afghans annually by working at the grassroots level. Sakena’s vision of a healthier Afghanistan evolved after watching her mother give birth to 15 children, to have only 5 survive. AIL was the first organization to offer human rights and leadership training to Afghan women and the first to open Women’s Learning Centers—a concept now copied by many organizations throughout Afghanistan. Dr. Yacoobi has received multiple awards and honors, including becoming an Ashoka Fellow. Recent awards include the Opus Prize and the WISE Prize for Education Laureate. Sakena has also received honorary doctorates from five universities for her distinguished contribution to society.