Sakena Yacoobi

Biography

Dr. Sakena Yacoobi is CEO and founder (1995) of the Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL). Born in Herat, Afghanistan, she studied in the U.S., earning a degree in biological sciences from the University of the Pacific and a public health master’s degree from Loma Linda University. A university professor and health consultant for a time in the U.S., she returned in 1992 to work with her people. While training refugee teachers in Pakistan, she published eight Dari training guides. Known as “The Mother of Afghan Education”, Sakena’s innovative, community-based approach have greatly increased access to quality education and health for women and children, transforming the Afghan educational scene. A leader in providing human rights, leadership, peace and health training for women, AIL has impacted the lives of more than 17 million Afghans, 70% of whom are women. The first to offer human rights and leadership training to Afghan women, AIL also supported 80 secret home schools for 3,000 girls in Afghanistan after the Taliban closed girls’ schools. AIL was also the first organization to open Learning Centers for Afghan women. AIL now has a Legal Clinic to provide free legal services to poor Afghan women and has been hosting large scale peace conferences around Afghanistan using the poetry of the Afghan poet Rumi to teach lessons of justice, human rights, good citizenship and peace.

Besides her work with AIL, Sakena has four private schools, a private hospital and radio and TV stations. Among her awards are six honorary doctorates, Sunhak Peace Prize, WISE Prize for Education, Opus Prize, Jonathan Mann Award, Afghan National Peace Award and Sri Sathya Sai Award for Human Excellence in education. Dr. Yacoobi is a Skoll and Schwab Social Entrepreneur, an Ashoka Fellow and has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. She is Vice President of Creating Hope International (CHI), Global Fund for Women former board member, a Fetzer Institute advisor, and a member of the USAWC.