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_Impacted
8.8 million
Students
267,162
Centers
321
Teachers trained
19,311
Patients
1,400,394
Health Ed. to
1,939,68
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_ The Afghan Institute of Learning

The Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL) is an Afghan women’s non-governmental organization (NGO) founded in 1996  by Professor Sakena Yacoobi.  AIL is committed to bringing peace and dignity to the Afghan people as they struggle to overcome oppression, devastation, and injustice wrought by the last quarter century of war and instability.
  • AIL presently has offices in Kabul and  Herat, Afghanistan and in Peshawar, Pakistan.
  • AIL serves 350,000 women and children annually,
  • AIL is run  by women and employs about 480 Afghans, over 70% of whom are women.
  • Since 1996 over 8.9 million Afghans have been impacted by AIL's programs including 4.8 million from AIL's education, training and teacher training programs - 1.4 million from health care and 1.9 million from health education.

What do we do?
AIL works to address the problem of women and children having inadequate access to education and health services. This leads to women being unable to support their own lives, and this lack of education and good health has great and enduring effects on Afghan society.

AIL is playing a major role in reconstructing education and health systems that are capable of reaching the women and children of Afghanistan whether in refugee camps or in their home communities.
  • AIL currently directly supports 25 Women’s Learning Centers or Educational Learning Centers,  where there were none in December of 2001.
  • AIL supports 5 health centers plus mobile units and community health worker posts in villages.
  • Over the years AIL has helped Afghan communities open over 338 education centers in Afghanistan and Pakistan many of  which have become independent and no longer require support. Over the years AIL opened or supported 15 health centers.
  • AIL is founded on the belief that educated people are the key to a future prosperous, developed Afghanistan.
  • With that in mind, AIL works to empower all Afghans who are needy and oppressed by expanding their educational and health opportunities and by fostering self-reliance and community participation.
  • AIL's goals are to lay a foundation for sustainable quality education and health service for years to come.
 
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How do we operate?
AIL requires community participation in all of its projects.  Believing that the best results are achieved when all are integrally involved.

Communities request AIL's help and AIL staff then start working with community leaders in the planning, development and implementation of all projects.  No project is started unless the community has requested it and is involved in it at every stage.

Utilizing this visionary strategy, communities now contribute 30 to 50 percent of the resources needed for a project. In the case of Community Based Organizations (CBOs) the contribution by the community can be as high as 90% of the cost.

These community contributions come in many forms, including donated space, materials, and supplies. This notion of  contributing  strengthens the community's involvement in and ownership of any AIL program.  As the project progresses AIL encourages further contributions and a greater sense of community ownership of the program as  part of ongoing efforts towards sustainability.
_AIL and Dr. Yacoobi have received many awards and are internationally recognized for their work in improving the health and education of Afghan women and children, relieving their suffering after three decades of war and civil strife, and enhancing the quality of their lives.

Since it is a non-governmental organization, AIL does not attempt to influence legislation nor does it recommend or work for the election of candidates for political office. In choosing the programs that it implements, AIL strives to assist women who are supporting their families.

AIL has been project partner with Creating Hope International (CHI)--a 501(c)3 non-profit in the U.S.--since 1996.
Through a long-term technical assistance agreement, CHI provides advice, training, financial management, and fundraising assistance and acts as fiscal sponsor for AIL upon request.