Afghan Institute of Learning

The Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL) was founded in 1995 by Professor Sakena Yacoobi. AIL plays a major part in reconstructing education and health systems for women and children in Afghanistan.

AIL Programs

AIL has 30 mostly rural educational learning centers where women and children can take classes from pre-school to college. All centers are grassroots and locally-led, meaning the teachers and staff working and making decisions at a center come from the very same community in which the center is located. Centers are supported by AIL who provides supplies, teachers' salaries, staff training, and sometimes rent. Each year approximately 25,000 students attend six-month classes.

To date, AIL has trained over 17,000 teachers in student-centered teaching techniques, immediately improving the quality of education for about 390,000 Afghan women and children.

Why the need?

Thirty plus years of war and civil strife has left a generation that is illiterate. Only 28% of the population can read or write, with that number plunging to 12.6% of females being literate. To survive as a family, members need to become literate and learn job skills so they can earn an income. 

The Afghan Institute of Learning trains teachers, and  from its educational learning centers teaches literacy, tailoring, computer skills, and other critical subjects to Afghans who are too poor to pay for private education. In all their classes, AIL also integrates and teaches important topics like peace, health, human rights, gender issues, and life skills.

How Team Efforts Translate to Impact

For every $25 dollars New Global Citizens teams raise one AIL student will be able to attend six months of classes.

This year AIL hopes to support 300 students with the help of NGC. This is a project where small amounts of money will make a tremendous impact on the lives of Afghan communities.

How AIL Creates Sustainable Global Change

AIL targets one of the most marginalized groups in Afghanistan, women and children. When there is no education for women and children, AIL works at the grass roots level with communities to open education centers so that women and children can become literate and learn job skills. 

*Photos courtesy of AIL