The New Idea
Sakena founded the Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL) in 1995 as a
way to implement her dynamic, systemic approach to social change. AIL bases its
services on several basic tenets: it aims to be responsive to the needs
communities express themselves, rather than imposing solutions on them; it
includes people from a variety of backgrounds; it works to establish trust; it
requires communities to contribute to the projects it undertakes.
Although traditional Afghan village social structures, gender roles,
and religious beliefs often actively discourage the education of women, Sakena
harnesses these very institutions to establish interactive programs in
education, health, human rights, peace education, environmental awareness,
democracy, and income generation. Using innovative teaching methodology, and a
receptive approach to community engagement, she is setting a sustainable and
practical course for women’s progress.
The Problem
In Afghan society, there is a wide range of standards for acceptable
female behavior and men have different beliefs about how women should be
treated. Many traditional Afghan customs impinge on the rights of women and may
be considered alien to the spirit of Islam. The dictates of Islam, however, are
subject to a wide variety of interpretations among reformists, Islamists, and
ultraconservatives, and debates between these groups can be volatile.
Gender reform has been an important part of the political debate in
for nearly a century—central to bringing about the fall of King Amanullah in
1929. Thirty years later, the government of Prime Minister Daud Khan supported
the voluntary removal of the veil and the end of seclusion for women, and the
1964 Constitution enfranchised women and guaranteed the right to education and
to work. Until the late 1970s, growing numbers of women, primarily from
modernized, urban backgrounds, participated in the public arena.
This came to a halt in 1978. The mujahidin leaders and the vast
majority of the population waged a struggle against the invasion of by the,
which they understood as both military and ideological. In order to be
protected, Afghan women began wearing the hejab and stopped moving freely in
public. Under the Taliban, the situation for women became very restricted. The
Taliban proclaimed ultraconservative interpretations of Islam on the people of
and imposed a strict ban on education for girls.
The practice of purdah (meaning seclusion, or, more literally,
curtain), including veiling, was the most visible manifestation of these
practices. This concept includes an insistence on separate spaces for men and
women. Women are also forbidden from interacting with men other than their
guardians; usually a male relative such as a father, brother, or son. These restrictions
severely limited women’s activities, including their access to education and
employment. Many were largely confined to their homes.
In 2001, a democratically elected government replaced the Taliban
and increased women’s freedoms. However, Afghan women continue to experience
socially mandated constraints that limit their access to pursue an education
and become economically self-sufficient. Foreign campaigns to assure the rights
of Afghan women to an education and employment, has at times been
counterproductive; failing to consider local religious and cultural
sensitivities. Despite the international attention and funds that have flowed into
the country since the fall of the Taliban, remains one of the poorest nations
in the world. It has among the world’s lowest literacy rates and highest rates
of infant and maternal mortality and the infrastructure for education and
healthcare are desperate.
Foreign aid agencies assistance toward development and in providing
relief services, yield mixed results. An inadequate understanding of the
language, culture, religion, resources, and history of Afghan communities often
hinders international organizations in their efforts to provide successful,
sustainable growth. In addition, grassroots, citizen organizations are
unfamiliar to many Afghans; further complicating their efforts. Sakena believes
empowering the citizen sector is key to the development of sustainable and
systemic change.
The Strategy
Sakena founded AIL in 1995 while working with the in Afghan refugee
camps across the border in. When women in the camps requested educational
opportunities for themselves and their children, AIL established learning
centers. Following this, AIL began to offer workshops on democracy and human
rights; which it carefully termed “Islamic rights”. After the fall of the
Taliban, AIL continued its work in. These programs were so successful that the
Afghan government has begun applying Sakena’s interactive methodology to
educational institutions throughout the country. AIL is one of the largest
citizen sector organizations in, and presently serves an estimated 350,000
people annually with education, health and training programs.
Sakena’s strategy begins with community consensus. AIL works with
community leaders to plan, develop, and implement of all its projects, and
requires that a community request their involvement and consent to the proposed
project. This approach provides an atmosphere of acceptance and trust. This is
especially vital when implementing new programs in conservative, isolated
communities.
Sakena builds the capacity of AIL’s education projects and local
grassroots efforts by providing interactive training. At the core of her
methodology, AIL uses innovative teaching methods based on critical thinking
and interactive learning. AIL has trained 13,000 teachers in their 24-day
pedagogy seminar to teach students to think using interactive, student-centered
methodologies; replacing rote memorization which is quite common in Afghan
education. Sakena emphasizes the teachers’ participation; instead of telling
them how to teach, AIL encourages them to discuss topics such as education, leadership,
management, health, science, democracy, human rights, and information
technology. Throughout the training sessions, special care is taken to ensure
their methodology respects the cultural and religious norms of the community.
When debates on women’s rights arise, for example, AIL trainers quote
appropriate passages from the Koran to validate their message.
Since 1996, AIL has supported over 200 schools and educational
centers, including 80 “underground” home schools for girls under the Taliban. AIL’s
training manual is used to train pre-school teachers in the public and private
sector. To give high school graduates an opportunity for post-secondary
education, AIL with, partners with colleges in computer science, pedagogy and
health. AIL was the first organization to open Women’s Learning Centers and
offer fast track literacy and skills training classes with human rights, peace,
health and democracy messages integrated into the curriculum.
A leader in health education, AIL includes health related topics
into the curriculum of all courses. In addition, AIL has developed health
workshops in reproductive health, Aids, gender-based violence, and
self-immolation. AIL also runs a nine-month intensive nurse/midwife/health
educator course and provides health education training to 90,000 women
annually. To support its education and health efforts, AIL publishes an
education and health magazine quarterly.
Finally, Sakena asks communities to contribute between 30 and 50
percent of the resources needed for any given project. These contributions can
come in the form of donated space, materials, supplies, partial teachers’
salaries, fees or assistance with security. This requirement strengthens the
communities’ involvement and ownership of the programs requested. This
strengthens the sustainability of the projects and empowers people to continue
efforts to improve their communities. This approach lays the groundwork for the
Afghan people, particularly women and children, and is an important first
step—Sakena believes—to achieve sustainable growth and eventual
self-sufficiency.
Sakena’s approach to education and women’s empowerment may be
tailored and replicated for diverse sectors of Afghan society; with the
potential to spread outside.
This profile was prepared when Sakena Yacoobi was elected to the
Ashoka Fellowship in 2006.
Source: This story is taken from
http://www.ashoka.org/fellow/sakena-yacoobi