Sakena Yacoobi

Sakena Yacoobi

Biography

Sakena Yacoobi founded the Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL) in 1995 to help increase literacy rates and improve the overall quality of education in her native country.¹ This has proven to be an immense and dangerous undertaking. During the six-year rule of the Taliban, any institution or individual appearing to be influenced by Western culture was subject to attack by militants.² And although, the Taliban are no longer in power, the risk of violence has not completely diminished. Despite the adverse conditions, Sakeena presses on.³ Born in Herat, Afghanistan, Sakena was raised by parents who encouraged her pursuit of education, a rare opportunity for women in the region.⁴ Until 1992, she led a comfortable life as an Afghan immigrant and teacher in the US when she visited Afghan refugee camps in Pakistan. Upon seeing the conditions of the women and children there, she decided to dedicate her life to their cause.⁵ Sakena was inducted into the inaugural Enterprising Women’s Hall of Fame in 2011 for her work with AIL. She was nominated by Oklahoma City businesswoman and founder of the Institute for Economic Improvement for Women, Terry Neese, who remarked, “Her visionary work is an example to everyone that women can persevere through the most challenging times to help build their country and educate their people.”⁶ She is also a recipient of the Gruber Prize for Women’s Rights and a Nobel Peace Prize nominee.⁷ [1] Architects of Peace Foundation: Sakeena Yacoobi. [2] Architects of Peace Foundation: Sakeena Yacoobi. [3] YouTube: Sakeena Yacoobi Seeks to Improve Afghan Women's Lives [4] Architects of Peace Foundation: Sakeena Yacoobi. [5] YouTube: Sakeena Yacoobi Seeks to Improve Afghan Women's Lives [6] NewsOK: OK businesswoman Terry Neese inducts Afghan woman into hall of fame for enterprising women [7] Architects of Peace Foundation: Sakeena Yacoobi. [8] Architects of Peace Foundation: Sakeena Yacoobi.