Sakena Yacoobi

Activist, Change Agent, Connector, Educator/Teacher, Entrepreneur, Idea generator, Social entrepreneur

Dr. Sakena Yacoobi is the founder of the Afghan Institute of Learning, the Professor Sakena Yacoobi Private Hospital in Herat, the Professor Sakena Yacoobi Private High Schools in Kabul and Herat, and the Meraj Radio Station in Afghanistan. Dr. Yacoobi is CEO of the Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL), an Afghan women-led NGO she founded in 1995. The organization was established to provide teacher training, support education, and provide health education to women and children. Under Sakena’s leadership AIL has established itself as a groundbreaking, visionary organization which works at the grassroots and empowers women and communities to find ways to bring education and health services to rural and poor urban girls, women and other poor and disenfranchised Afghans. AIL supported 80 underground home schools for 3,000 girls in Afghanistan after the Taliban closed girls’ schools in the 1990s. AIL was the first organization to offer human rights and leadership training and the first to open Learning Centers for Afghan women—a concept now copied by many organizations throughout Afghanistan. AIL now serves hundreds of thousands of women and children each year in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Since 1996, over 12 million Afghans have benefited from AIL’s education and health programs. In addition to her work with AIL, Sakena has been a panelist and speaker on education for women and children at a number of international conferences, including the Clinton Global Initiative, California Governor’s Conference on Women and Families, the Central Eurasian Studies Society conference, the One World Forum in England, Association for Women in Development, International Institute for Peace Education, World Economic Forum, the D.D. Kosimbi Festival of Ideas (Goa, India), World Justice Forum in The Hague and UN DIP Conference (Australia). Sakena and AIL have received the following international recognition for their efforts on behalf of Afghan women and children: 2001: Bill Graham Award (Rex Foundation) 2003: Peacemaker in Action Award (Tanenbaum Center for Inter-religious Understanding) 2004: Women’s Rights Prize (Peter Gruber Foundation), Recognition of Service Award (Herat Ministry of Education, various Afghan district governments) 2005: Democracy Award (National Endowment for Democracy), Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize 2006: Citizen Leader Award (University of the Pacific), Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship. 2007: Ashoka Senior Fellow, Honorary Doctorate of Laws Degree (University of the Pacific), Gleitsman International Activist Award 2008: Honorary Doctor of Humanitarian Service (Loma Linda University) 2009: Americans for UNFPA Board of Advocates Award for the Health and Dignity of Women, Henry R. Kravis Prize in Leadership 2010: Honorary Doctorate of Education (Santa Clara University), Jonathan Mann Award for Global Health and Human Rights, Schwab Foundation Asia Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2011: Afghan National Peace Award 2012: German Media Award, Lotus Leadership Award (The Asia Foundation), World Children’s Prize Honorary Award 2013: Honorary Doctor of Laws (Princeton University), Global Generation Award (Millennium Campus Network), Good Deals Pioneer Award, the Opus Prize 2014: Champion for Women’s Health Award (Direct Relief), Honorary Doctor of Human Letters (University of St. Joseph) Born in Herat, Afghanistan, Sakena came to the United States in the 1970s, earning a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from the University of the Pacific and a master’s degree in public health from Loma Linda University. Before returning in 1992 to work with her people, Sakena was a professor at D’Etre University and a health consultant. While working with refugees in Pakistan, she published eight Dari-language teacher-training guides and also served as the Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Relief (ACBAR) delegate working on the education portion of the United Nation’s Rehabilitation Plan for Afghanistan. Sakena Yacoobi is co-founder and Vice-president of Creating Hope International, a Michigan based non-profit organization. Her affiliations include the following: Afghan Institute of Learning, Founder and CEO*Afghan National Coordinating Body*Afghan Women’s Law Group*Afghan Women’s Network*Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Relief, Member & Former Steering Committee Member*AWID*Creating Hope International, Vice President*Global Fund for Women, Former Board Member*Global Peace Initiative for Women*Henry J. Kravis Prize in Leadership, Nomination Advisor*The International Museum of Women*Millennium Campus Network, Board of Advisors*Monterey Institute of International Studies at Middlebury College, Center for Social Impact Learning Advisory Council Member*New Global Citizens Board Member*Policy Council on Afghan Women, Steering Committee Member *University of the Pacific, Former Global Center Advisory Board member*USAWC Member*Women’s Refugee Commission, Commissioner*

Education, Grassroots Leadership Development, Health, Human Rights, Leadership, Training