2020 Aurora Humanitarian Sakena Yacoobi is a human rights activist and educator, and Founder of the Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL), which is rebuilding education and health systems in Afghanistan and empowering local population to transform their lives, community and country. Since its inception, 16 million Afghans have been impacted, either directly or indirectly, by AIL’s programs. 

In 2005, Sakena Yacoobi was among the 1,000 women who were jointly nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. In the last three decades, her fight for Afghan women has brought her numerous awards and international recognition, which gives her hope and strength to never give up.

“I hope there would be a day that every child, every girl could go to school, and everyone would have equal opportunities. That is the idea of Afghanistan I have been dreaming of and looking forward to. I’m hopeful that we will achieve it. It’s not easy, it will be [done] step by step; with slow steps.” 

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