ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Sakena Yacoobi - Education activist
At the Afghan Institute of Learning, Sakena Yacoobi provides teacher training to Afghan women, supporting education for girls and boys throughout the country.

Why you should listen

Sakena Yacoobi is executive director of the Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL), an Afghan women-led NGO she founded in 1995. After the Taliban closed girls’ schools in the 1990s, AIL supported 80 underground home schools for 3,000 girls in Afghanistan. Now, under Yacoobi’s leadership, AIL works at the grassroots level to empower women and bring education and health services to poor women and girls in rural and urban areas, serving hundreds of thousands of women and children a year through its training programs, Learning Centers, schools and clinics in both Afghanistan and Pakistan.

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 the radio station Meraj in her hometown of Herat, Afghanistan.

More profile about the speaker
Sakena Yacoobi | Speaker | TED.com
TEDWomen 2015

Sakena Yacoobi: How I stopped the Taliban from shutting down my school

Sakena Yacoobi: Como evitei que os talibáns pechasen a miña escola

Filmed:
1,497,714 views

Cando os Talibáns pecharon todas as escolas para rapazas de Afganistán, Sakena Yacoobi instalou novas escolas, en segredo, para educar a milleiros de mulleres e homes. Nesta charla, intensa e divertida, conta a sorprendente historia das dúas veces nas que a ameazaron para que deixase de ensinar. Ademais comparte a súa visión sobre como reconstruír o seu amado país.
- Education activist
At the Afghan Institute of Learning, Sakena Yacoobi provides teacher training to Afghan women, supporting education for girls and boys throughout the country. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:13
(Arabic) I seek refuge in Allah from cursed Satan.
In the Name of Allah, the most Gracious, the most Merciful.
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(Árabe) Refúxiome en Alá de Satanás, o maldito.
En nome de Alá, o misericoridioso.
00:16
(English) I was born
in a middle class family.
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(Inglés) Nacín nunha familia
de clase media.
00:20
My father was five years old
when he lost his father,
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Meu pai tiña cinco anos
cando perdeu o seu pai,
00:25
but by the time I was born,
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pero cando eu nacín,
00:28
he was already a businessman.
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el xa era un home de negocios.
Aínda así, a el dáballe igual
00:31
But it didn't make a difference to him
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00:33
if his children were going to be
a boy or a girl:
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se os seus fillos eran
nenos ou nenas:
00:36
they were going to go to school.
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ían ir á escola.
00:38
So I guess I was the lucky one.
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Así que supoño que eu fun afortunada.
00:42
My mother had 16 pregnancies.
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Miña nai estivo embarazada 16 veces.
00:45
From 16 pregnancies, five of us are alive.
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Dos 16 embarazos, estamos vivos cinco.
00:51
You can imagine as a child
what I went through.
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Poden imaxinar polo que tiven que pasar
cando era nena.
00:56
Day to day, I watched women
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Diariamente, vía mulleres
00:58
being carried to a graveyard,
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sendo transportadas ao cemiterio,
01:02
or watched children going to a graveyard.
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ou a nenos sendo levados a unha tumba.
01:07
At that time, when I
finished my high school,
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Naquel momento, cando rematei o instituto,
01:10
I really wanted to be a doctor.
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de veras quería ser doutora.
01:13
I wanted to be a doctor
to help women and children.
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Quería ser doutora
para axudar a mulleres e nenos.
01:18
So I completed my education,
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Así que finalicei a miña educación,
01:20
but I wanted to go to university.
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mais desexaba ir á universidade.
01:23
Unfortunately, in my country,
there wasn't a dormitory for girls,
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Desgrazadamente, no meu país, non había
praza para mulleres nas residencias
01:28
so I was accepted in medical school,
but I could not go there.
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polo que, aínda que me aceptaron
na facultade de medicina, non podía ir.
01:33
So as a result, my father
sent me to America.
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Como consecuencia,
meu pai envioume a América.
01:38
I came to America.
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Vin para América.
01:40
I completed my education.
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Rematei os meus estudos.
01:43
While I was completing my education,
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Mentres remataba a miña educación,
01:45
my country was invaded by Russia.
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Rusia invadiu o meu país.
01:50
And do you know that at the time
I was completing my education,
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Saben? Cando estaba a rematar
a miña formación,
01:54
I didn't know what was going on
with my family or with my country.
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descoñecía o que lles estaba a acontecer
á miña familia e ao meu país.
01:58
There were months, years,
I didn't know about it.
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Pasaron meses, anos,
e eu non tiña noticias.
02:02
My family was in a refugee camp.
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A miña familia atopábase
nun campo de refuxiados.
02:06
So as soon as I completed my education,
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Por iso, en canto rematei os estudos,
02:10
I brought my family to America.
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trouxen a miña familia a América.
02:13
I wanted them to be safe.
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Quería que estivesen a salvo.
02:16
But where was my heart?
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Pero, onde estaba o meu corazón?
02:18
My heart was in Afghanistan.
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O meu corazón estaba en Afganistán.
02:20
Day after day,
when I listened to the news,
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Todos os días,
cando escoitaba as noticias,
02:23
when I followed what was
going on with my country,
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cando seguía o que acontecía
no meu país,
02:26
my heart was breaking up.
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partíaseme o corazón.
02:28
I really wanted to go back to my country,
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Eu desexaba volver ao meu país,
02:31
but at the same time I knew
I could not go there,
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pero, ao mesmo tempo,
sabía que non podía ir
02:33
because there was no place for me.
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porque alí non había lugar para min.
02:36
I had a good job.
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Tiña un bo traballo.
02:38
I was a professor at a university.
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Era profesora nunha universidade.
02:40
I earned good money.
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Gañaba ben.
02:42
I had a good life.
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Tiña unha boa vida.
02:44
My family was here.
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A miña familia estaba aquí.
02:46
I could live with them.
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Podía vivir con eles.
02:48
But I wasn't happy.
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Así e todo, non era feliz.
02:49
I wanted to go back home.
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Quería regresar ao meu fogar.
02:52
So I went to the refugee camp.
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Así que marchei ao campo de refuxiados.
02:54
And when I went
to the refugee camp in Pakistan,
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E cando cheguei ao campo de refuxiados
de Paquistán,
02:58
there were 7.5 million refugees.
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había sete millóns e medio
de refuxiados.
03:01
7.5 million refugees.
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Sete millóns e medio de refuxiados.
03:04
About 90 percent of them
were women and children.
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Deles, preto do 90 %
eran mulleres e nenos.
03:09
Most of the men have been killed
or they were in war.
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A maioría dos homes ou morreran
na guerra ou estaban nela.
03:13
And you know, in the refugee camp,
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E saben? no campo de refuxiados,
03:16
when I went day-to-day to do a survey,
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cando facía os informes diarios,
03:19
I found things you never could imagine.
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topeime con cousas que non imaxinan.
03:24
I saw a widow with five to eight children
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Vin unha viúva con entre cinco e oito nenos,
03:26
sitting there and weeping
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alí sentada, chorando,
03:29
and not knowing what to do.
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sen saber que facer.
03:31
I saw a young woman
have no way to go anywhere,
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Vin unha muller nova
que non tiña onde ir,
03:35
no education, no entertainment,
no place to even live.
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sen estudos, nin ingresos,
nin un lugar no que vivir.
03:40
I saw young men that had lost
their father and their home,
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Vin rapaces que perderan
os seus pais, os seus fogares
03:45
and they are supporting the family
as a 10-to-12-year old boy --
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e que con dez ou doce anos, tiñan que
sacar adiante as súas familias,
03:50
being the head of the household,
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ser os cabeza de familia
03:52
trying to protect their sister
and their mother and their children.
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e intentar protexer as súas irmás,
as súas nais e os nenos.
03:56
So it was a very devastating situation.
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A situación era absolutamente desoladora.
03:59
My heart was beating for my people,
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O meu corazón sofría pola miña xente
04:02
and I didn't know what to do.
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e non sabía que facer.
04:04
At that moment, we talk about momentum.
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Nese momento, séntese un impulso.
04:07
At that moment, I felt,
what can I do for these people?
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Nese momento, eu sentía: que podo
facer por estas persoas?
04:11
How could I help these people?
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Como podo axudalas?
04:13
I am one individual.
What can I do for them?
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Son unha soa persoa,
que podo facer por eles?
04:17
But at that moment, I knew
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Pero nese momento, eu sabía
04:19
that education changed my life.
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que a educación cambiara a miña vida.
04:22
It transformed me. It gave me status.
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Transformoume. Ofreceume unha posición.
04:26
It gave me confidence.
It gave me a career.
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Deume confianza.
Proporcionoume unha carreira.
04:30
It helped me to support my family,
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Axudoume a sacar adiante a miña familia,
04:32
to bring my family to another country,
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a levar a miña familia a outro país,
04:34
to be safe.
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para que estivesen a salvo.
04:36
And I knew that at that moment
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E naquel momento souben que
04:39
that what I should give to my people
is education and health,
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o que lle debía proporcionar á miña xente
era educación e saúde
04:43
and that's what I went after.
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e iso foi o que intentei conseguir.
04:45
But do you think it was easy?
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Pero pensan que foi sinxelo?
04:48
No, because at that time, education
was banned for girls, completely.
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Pois non, porque, daquela, as mulleres
non tiñan acceso á educación.
04:56
And also, by Russia invading Afghanistan,
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Ademais, tras a invasión de Rusia en Afganistán,
05:00
people were not trusting anyone.
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a xente xa non confiaba en ninguén.
05:03
It was very hard to come and say,
"I want to do this."
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Era moi difícil chegar e dicir
"Quero facer isto".
05:06
Who am I?
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Quen son eu?
05:08
Somebody who comes from the United States.
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Alguén que vén dos Estados Unidos.
05:10
Somebody who got educated here.
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Alguén que se educou aquí.
05:12
Did they trust me? Of course not.
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Confiaban en min? Por suposto que non.
05:15
So I really needed to build
the trust in this community.
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Por iso, o que realmente precisaba
era gañar a confianza desta comunidade.
05:19
How am I going to do that?
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Como vou facelo?
05:22
I went and surveyed and looked and looked.
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Fun, documenteime,
observei e observei.
05:25
I asked.
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Fixen preguntas.
05:26
Finally, I found one man.
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Á fin, atopei un home.
05:29
He was 80 years old.
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Tiña 80 anos.
05:31
He was a mullah.
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Era un mulá.
05:33
I went to his tent in the camp,
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Fun á súa tenda no campamento
05:36
and I asked him,
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e fíxenlle a proposta,
05:38
"I want to make you a teacher."
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"Quero converterte nun profesor".
05:41
And he looked at me,
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E miroume,
05:42
and he said, "Crazy woman,
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e dixo "Tola,
05:45
crazy woman, how do you think
I can be a teacher?"
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tola, como pensa que eu
podo ser profesor?"
05:49
And I told him,
"I will make you a teacher."
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E respondinlle,
"Farei de vostede un profesor".
05:52
Finally, he accepted my offer,
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Finalmente, aceptou a miña oferta
05:55
and once I started a class
in his compound,
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e, en canto comecei cunha clase
no seu recinto,
05:58
the word spread all over.
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correuse a voz.
06:01
In a matter of one year,
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En cousa dun ano,
06:03
we had 25 schools set up,
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tiñamos 25 escolas instaladas,
06:06
15,000 children going to school,
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15 000 nenos indo á escola,
06:09
and it was amazing.
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e era incrible.
06:11
(Applause)
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(Aplausos)
06:14
Thank you.
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Grazas.
06:16
Thank you.
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Grazas.
06:18
But of course, we're doing all our work,
we were giving teacher training.
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Por suposto, estabamos a facer o noso
traballo, formando profesores.
06:23
We were training women's rights,
human rights, democracy, rule of law.
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Formando en dereitos das mulleres,
dereitos humanos, democracia e leis.
06:28
We were giving all kinds of training.
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Ofreciamos todo tipo de formación.
06:31
And one day, I tell you,
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E un día, saiban que,
06:34
one day I was in the office
in Peshawar, Pakistan.
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un día, estaba eu na oficina
en Peshawar, Paquistán,
06:38
All of a sudden, I saw my staff
running to rooms and locking the doors
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e, de súpeto, vin que todo o meu persoal
corría aos cuartos e pechaba as portas
06:43
and telling me, "Run away, hide!"
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e dicíanme: "Fuxe, agóchate!"
06:47
And you know, as a leader, what do you do?
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E díganme, sendo a líder, que se fai?
06:50
You're scared. You know it's dangerous.
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Tes medo. Sabes que é perigoso.
06:54
You know your life is on the line.
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Sabes que a túa vida está en xogo.
06:56
But as a leader,
you have to hold it together.
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Pero como líder, tes que manter
a compostura.
06:59
You have to hold it together
and show strength.
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Tes que manter a compostura
e mostrar fortaleza.
07:02
So I said, "What's going on?"
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Así que preguntei: "Que ocorre?"
07:04
And these people were pouring
into my office.
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E esas persoas acudían en masa
á miña oficina.
07:07
So I invited them to the office.
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Polo que as convidei a entrar
na oficina.
07:09
They came, and there were
nine of them -- nine Taliban.
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Viñeron. Eran nove,
nove talibáns.
07:14
They were the ugliest looking men
you can ever see.
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Eran os homes máis horrorosas
que poidan ver nunca.
07:17
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
07:19
Very mean-looking people,
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Xente cunha facha malvada,
07:21
black clothes, black turban,
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roupa negra, turbante negro,
07:23
and they pour into my office.
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e entraron en masa na miña oficina.
07:26
And I invited them
to have a seat and have tea.
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E convideinos a sentar
e tomar un té.
07:29
They said no. They are not
going to drink tea.
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Negáronse. Non ían tomar té.
07:32
And of course, with the tone
of voice they were using,
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E, por suposto, o ton de voz
que empregaban
07:36
it was very scary,
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daba moito medo,
07:37
but I was really shaking up.
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e eu estaba verdadeiramente afectada.
07:40
But also I was strong, holding myself up.
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Pero, ao mesmo tempo,
mantívenme firme.
07:44
And, of course, by that time,
you know how I dress --
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E, claro, naquel momento,
xa ven como visto,
07:47
I dress from head to toe in a black hijab.
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cuberta de pés a cabeza por un hijab negro,
07:49
The only thing you could see, my eyes.
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o único que se me vía eran os ollos.
07:53
They asked me, "What are you doing?
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Preguntáronme: "Que fai?"
07:55
Don't you know that school
is banned for girls?
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"Non sabe que a escola estalles
prohibida ás mulleres?"
07:59
What are you doing here?"
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"Que fan aquí?"
08:01
And you know, I just looked at them,
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E, saben? mireinos
08:04
and I said, "What school?
Where is the school?"
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e respondín: "Que escola?,
onde está a escola?"
08:07
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
08:10
(Applause)
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(Aplausos)
08:13
And they look at my face, and they said,
"You are teaching girls here."
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E miráronme á cara e dixeron:
"Aquí ensina rapazas" .
08:17
I said, "This is a house of somebody.
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Eu respondín: "Está é a casa de alguén.
08:20
We have some students coming,
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Veñen algúns estudantes.
08:22
and they are all learning
Koran, Holy Book.
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Todos aprenden o Corán,
o libro sagrado.
08:25
And you know, Koran says that
if you learn the Holy Book, the woman,
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Saben? O Corán di que
se estudan o libro sagrado
08:30
they can be a good wife,
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as mulleres poden ser boas esposas
08:32
and they can obey their husband."
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e poden obedecer os seus maridos."
08:34
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
08:38
And I tell you one thing:
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E dígolles unha cousa:
08:40
that's the way you work with those people,
and you know --
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así é como se trata con esa xente.
08:43
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
08:44
So by that time,
they started speaking Pashto.
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Naquel momento,
puxéronse a falar pashtu.
08:49
They talked to each other,
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Falaban entre eles
08:50
and they said, "Let's go,
leave her alone, she's OK."
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e dicían "Vámonos,
deixémola, está ben".
08:54
And you know, this time,
I offered them tea again,
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E saben? Entón ofrecinlles
té outra vez
08:58
and they took a sip and they laughed.
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e tomaron un grolo e riron.
09:02
By that time, my staff
poured into my office.
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Daquela o meu persoal
acudiu en masa á miña oficina.
09:06
They were scared to death.
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Estaban mortos de medo.
09:08
They didn't know why they didn't kill me.
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Non sabían por que non me mataran.
09:10
They didn't know why
they didn't take me away.
174
538426
2437
Non sabían por que
non me levaran con eles.
09:12
But everybody was happy to see me.
175
540887
2738
Con todo, todos estaban alegres de verme.
09:16
Very happy, and I was happy
to be alive, of course.
176
544164
2993
Moi contentos e, por suposto, eu estaba
feliz de estar viva.
09:19
(Laughter)
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547181
1151
(Risos)
09:20
Of course, I was happy to be alive.
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548356
2014
Por suposto, alegrábame de estar viva.
09:22
But also, as we continuously gave
training during the fall of the Taliban --
179
550394
5876
Pero, tamén, ao seguirmos educando
durante a caída dos Talibáns,
09:28
of course during the Taliban
there is another story.
180
556294
2437
cando os Talibáns tiñan o poder
era outra historia.
09:30
We went underground and we provided
education for 80 schoolgirls,
181
558755
4159
Xuntabámonos na clandestinidade
e ensinabamos a 80 rapazas,
09:34
3,000 students underground,
and continuously we trained.
182
562938
3523
3 000 estudantes clandestinos, aos
que educabamos sen cesar.
09:38
With the fall of the Taliban,
we went into the country,
183
566802
2917
Coa caída dos Talibáns,
fomos polo país
09:41
and we opened school after school.
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569743
2460
e abrimos unha escola tras outra.
09:44
We opened women's learning center.
185
572227
2405
Abrimos centros de ensino para mulleres.
09:46
We continuously opened clinics.
186
574656
1936
Abrimos clínicas sen parar.
09:48
We worked with mothers and children.
187
576616
1984
Traballamos con mulleres e nenos.
09:50
We had reproductive health training.
188
578624
1723
Educabamos sobre saúde reprodutiva.
09:52
We had all kinds of training
that you can imagine.
189
580371
2816
Ofreciamos cantos tipos de formación
poidan imaxinar.
09:55
I was very happy. I was delighted
with the outcome of my work.
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583489
4269
Eu era moi feliz. Estaba encantada
co resultado do meu traballo.
10:00
And one day, with four trainers
and one bodyguard,
191
588155
3259
E un día, cando ía con catro educadores
e cun garda,
10:03
I was going up north of Kabul,
192
591771
2436
dirixíndome ao norte de Cabul,
10:06
and all of a sudden, again,
193
594692
1920
de súpeto, unha vez máis,
10:09
I was stopped in the middle of the road
194
597239
2278
detivéronme no medio da estrada,
10:11
by 19 young men.
195
599541
1891
fixérono 19 rapaces.
10:13
Rifles on their shoulders,
they blocked the road.
196
601836
2643
Con rifles ao lombo,
bloquearon a estrada.
10:17
And I told my driver, "What's going on?"
197
605646
2905
Pregunteille ao meu condutor que pasaba
10:20
And the driver said, "I don't know."
198
608575
1723
e respondeume: "Non o sei."
10:22
He asked them. They said,
"We have nothing to do with you."
199
610322
2769
Preguntoulles e dixeron
"Non ten nada que ver contigo".
10:25
They called my name.
They said, "We want her."
200
613115
3007
Pronunciaron o meu nome e dixeron:
"Querémola a ela".
10:28
My bodyguard got out, said,
"I can answer you.
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616828
2903
O meu garda saíu e dixo:
"Eu podo respondervos.
10:31
What do you want?"
202
619755
1294
Que queredes?"
10:33
They said, "Nothing." They called my name.
203
621073
2007
Eles dixeron que nada e chamáronme.
10:35
And by that time, the women
are yelling and screaming inside the car.
204
623104
4871
Naquel momento, as mulleres berraban
dentro do coche.
10:39
I am very shaken up,
and I told myself, this is it.
205
627999
2555
Estou moi afectada e dígome:
"Esta é a fin".
10:42
This time, we all are going to be killed.
206
630578
2517
Esta vez, vannos matar a todos.
10:45
There is no doubt in my mind.
207
633119
2300
Non tiña ningunha dúbida.
10:47
But still, the moment comes,
and you take strength
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635721
4912
Pero aínda así, cando o momento
chega, sacas forzas
10:52
from whatever you believe
and whatever you do.
209
640657
2874
de todo no que cres e do que fas.
10:55
It's in your heart.
210
643555
1365
Está no teu corazón.
10:56
You believe in your worth,
and you can walk on it.
211
644944
2875
Confías na túa valía e podes
seguir grazas a iso.
10:59
So I just hold myself
on the side of the car.
212
647843
3539
Así que me apoiei
nun lado do coche.
11:03
My leg was shaking, and I got outside.
213
651406
3555
A miña perna tremía e saín do coche.
11:06
And I asked them, "What can I do for you?"
214
654985
2500
Pregunteilles: "En que podo axudalos?"
11:09
You know what they said to me?
215
657509
1587
Saben o que me responderon?
11:11
They said, "We know who you are.
216
659120
3142
Dixeron: "Sabemos quen é.
11:14
We know where you are going.
217
662286
1922
Sabemos a onde vai.
11:16
Every day you go up north here and there.
218
664232
2681
Anda todos os días dun lugar a outro.
11:18
You train women, you teach them
219
666937
3048
Ensina mulleres, edúcaas
11:22
and also you give them an
opportunity to have a job.
220
670009
3047
e tamén lles dá a oportunidade
de ter un traballo.
11:25
You build their skills. How about us?"
221
673080
2800
Adéstraas. Que pasa con nosoutros?"
11:27
(Laughter)
222
675904
2851
(Risos)
11:30
(Applause)
223
678779
2968
(Aplausos)
11:33
"And you know, how about us?
224
681771
4364
"E que pasa con nosoutros?
11:38
What are we going to do?"
225
686159
1586
Que imos facer nós?"
11:39
I looked at them, and I said,
"I don't know."
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687769
2372
Mireinos e repondín:
"Non sei".
11:42
(Laughter)
227
690165
2818
(Risos)
11:45
They said, "It's OK.
228
693007
1571
Dixeron: "Está ben.
11:46
The only thing we can do, what we know,
229
694602
2160
Que saibamos, o único que podemos facer,
11:48
from the time we're born,
we just hold the gun and kill.
230
696786
3079
polo tempo no que nos tocou vivir,
é suxeitar unha arma e matar.
11:51
That's all we know."
231
699889
1276
Non sabemos máis".
11:53
And you know what that means.
232
701713
1469
E xa saben o que significa.
11:55
It's a trap to me, of course.
233
703206
1887
Obviamente, era unha trampa.
11:57
So I walk out of there.
They said, "We'll let you go, go."
234
705522
3453
Entón afasteime e dixeron
"Deixarémola marchar, marche".
12:01
And so I walked into the car,
I sit in the car,
235
709435
2904
E entrei no coche,
sentei,
12:04
and I told the driver,
"Turn around and go back to the office."
236
712363
3270
e díxenlle ao condutor:
dá volta e regresa á oficina".
12:07
At that time, we only
were supporting girls.
237
715999
3413
Daquela, soamente
axudabamos mulleres.
12:11
We only had money for women to train them,
238
719436
3461
Só tiñamos cartos para ensinalas a elas,
12:14
to send them to school, and nothing else.
239
722921
2618
para mandalas á escola, e nada máis.
12:17
By the time I came to the office,
240
725881
2531
Cando cheguei á oficina,
12:20
of course my trainers were gone.
241
728722
2253
obviamente todos os educadores marcharan.
12:22
They ran away home. Nobody stayed there.
242
730999
2970
Fuxiran ás súas casas. Ninguén quedou.
12:26
My bodyguard was the only one there,
243
734414
2500
O meu garda era o único que estaba alí
12:29
and my voice was completely gone.
244
737390
2706
e eu quedara sen voz.
12:32
I was shaken up, and I sat on my table,
245
740120
3135
Estaba conmocionada, sentada na miña mesa,
12:35
and I said, "What am I going to do?"
246
743279
2008
e dixen: "Que vou facer?"
12:37
How am I going to solve this problem?
247
745827
2476
"Como vou solucionar este problema?"
12:40
Because we had training
going on up north already.
248
748327
3404
Porque xa ofreciamos
educación no norte.
12:44
Hundreds of women were there
coming to get training.
249
752080
3627
Centos de mulleres viñan
para que as ensinásemos.
12:48
So I was sitting there,
all of a sudden, at this moment,
250
756295
3753
Así que estaba alí sentada e,
de súpeto, agora,
12:52
talking about momentum, we are,
251
760072
1953
estamos aquí falando sobre impulsos,
12:54
at that moment,
252
762501
1881
porque, naquel momento,
12:56
one of my wonderful donors
called me about a report.
253
764406
3968
unha das miñas marabillosas doantes
pediume un informe.
13:01
And she asked me, "Sakena?"
And I answered her.
254
769207
3533
E chamoume: "Sakena?".
E respondín.
13:04
She said, "It's not you.
What's wrong with you?"
255
772764
2348
Dixo: "Non es ti. Que che pasa?"
13:07
I said, "Nothing." I tried to cover.
256
775136
2619
Dixen: "Nada". Intentei disimular.
13:10
No matter what I tried to do,
she didn't believe me,
257
778461
2856
Era igual o que lle dixese,
non me cría
13:13
and she asked me again.
258
781341
1651
e seguía a preguntar.
13:15
"OK, tell me what's going on?"
259
783016
1842
"Vale, dime que está pasando".
13:16
I told her the whole story.
260
784882
2038
Conteille toda a historia.
13:18
At that time, she said, "OK,
you go next time, and you will help them.
261
786944
4651
Entón, dixo: "Vale, para a próxima,
vas e axúdalos a eles.
13:24
You will help them."
262
792222
1611
Axúdaos".
13:26
And when, two days later,
I went the same route,
263
794142
3675
E cando, dous días despois,
fixen o mesmo camiño,
13:30
and do you know, they were not in here,
264
798364
2493
saben que? non estaban alí,
13:32
they were a little back further,
265
800881
2173
estaban un pouco máis lonxe,
13:35
the same young men, standing up there
and holding the rifle
266
803078
4549
os mesmos rapaces, alí de pé,
suxeitando o rifle
13:39
and pointing to us to stop the car.
267
807651
2306
e apuntándonos para deter o coche.
13:41
So we stopped the car.
268
809981
1724
Así que parei o coche.
13:43
I got out. I said, "OK, let's go with me."
269
811729
2880
Saín e dixen: "Está ben, vide comigo".
13:46
And they said, "Yes."
270
814999
1278
E responderon: "Si".
13:48
I said, "On one condition,
that whatever I say, you accept it."
271
816301
4428
E dixen: "Cunha condición:
que aceptedes todo o que eu diga".
13:53
And they said, yes, they do.
272
821046
1579
E aceptaron.
13:54
So I took them to the mosque,
273
822649
1873
Así que os levei á mesquita
13:56
and to make a long story short,
274
824863
2789
e para resumir,
13:59
I told them I'd give them teachers.
275
827999
2423
díxenlles que ía poñerlles profesores.
14:02
Today, they are the best trainers.
276
830763
3952
Agora, eles son os mellores educadores.
14:06
They learn English,
277
834739
1659
Aprenden inglés,
14:08
they learn how to be teachers,
278
836422
2436
aprenden como ser profesores,
14:10
they learn computers,
279
838882
1738
aprenden informática
14:12
and they are my guides.
280
840644
1850
e son os meus guías.
14:14
Every area that is unknown to us
in the mountain areas,
281
842518
3837
A todas as áreas que non coñecemos,
nas zonas de montaña,
14:18
they go with me.
They are ahead, and we go.
282
846379
2247
eles veñen comigo.
Eles van diante e imos.
14:20
And they protect us.
283
848650
1657
E protéxennos.
14:23
And --
284
851275
1151
E...
14:24
(Applause)
285
852450
1151
(Aplausos)
14:25
Thank you.
286
853625
1151
Grazas.
14:26
(Applause)
287
854800
3506
(Aplausos)
14:30
That tells you that education
transforms people.
288
858330
4159
Iso proba que a educación
cambia as persoas.
14:35
When you educate people,
289
863513
2134
Cando educas as persoas,
14:37
they are going to be different,
290
865671
1968
elas cambian
14:39
and today all over,
291
867663
1683
e, na actualidade,
14:41
we need to work for gender equality.
292
869370
2372
precisamos traballar pola igualdade.
14:43
We cannot only train women
but forget about the men,
293
871766
3706
Non se pode educar as mulleres
e esquecerse dos homes,
14:47
because the men are the real people
who are giving women the hardest time.
294
875496
5454
porque os homes son as persoas que llelo
poñen máis difícil ás mulleres.
14:52
(Laughter)
295
880974
1579
(Risos)
14:54
So we started training men
because the men should know
296
882577
3761
Por iso comezamos a educalos,
porque deben ser conscientes
14:58
the potential of women,
297
886362
1467
do potencial das mulleres,
14:59
know how much these potential men has,
298
887853
2501
saber canto dese potencial
teñen os homes
15:02
and how much these women
can do the same job they are doing.
299
890378
4595
e que esas mulleres poden desempeñar
os mesmos traballos que teñen eles.
15:06
So we are continuously giving
training to men,
300
894997
3380
Así que formamos homes
continuamente
15:10
and I really believe strongly.
301
898401
3286
e creo profundamente
15:13
I live in a country
that was a beautiful country.
302
901711
3120
que vivo nun país
que era fermoso.
15:16
I just want to share this with you.
303
904855
1818
Soamente quero compartir isto.
15:19
It was a beautiful country,
304
907006
1818
Era un país fermoso,
15:20
beautiful, peaceful country.
305
908848
2031
fermoso e pacífico.
15:23
We were going everywhere.
306
911276
1952
Iamos a todas as partes.
15:25
Women were getting education:
307
913252
2073
As mulleres recibían educación:
15:27
lawyer, engineer, teacher,
308
915349
2387
avogadas, enxeñeiras, profesoras...
15:30
and we were going from house to house.
309
918205
2167
E iamos dunha casa á outra.
15:32
We never locked our doors.
310
920396
1874
Non pechabamos as portas.
15:34
But you know what happened to my country.
311
922912
1962
Pero xa saben que lle pasou ao meu país.
15:36
Today, people cannot walk
out of their door without security issues.
312
924898
5816
Agora, non se pode saír
sen problemas de seguridade.
15:43
But we want the same
Afghanistan we had before.
313
931297
4933
Pero aínda queremos o
Afganistán de antes.
15:48
And I want to tell you the other side.
314
936254
1944
E quero contarlles a outra parte.
15:50
Today, the women of Afghanistan
are working very, very hard.
315
938222
3555
Agora, as mulleres de Afganistán
traballan moi, moi duro.
15:54
They are earning degrees.
They are training to be lawyers.
316
942166
4460
Gradúanse.
Fórmanse para ser avogadas.
15:58
They are training to be
doctors, back again.
317
946650
2230
Estudan para ser doutoras,
outra vez.
16:00
They are training to be teachers,
318
948904
1650
Estudan para ser profesoras
16:02
and they are running businesses.
319
950578
1984
e dirixen negocios.
16:04
So it is so wonderful
320
952927
2438
Así que é marabilloso
16:07
to see people like that
reach their complete potential,
321
955389
4403
ver como as persoas empregan
todo o seu potencial
16:12
and all of this is going to happen.
322
960109
2278
e todo isto vai ocorrer.
16:14
I want to share this with you,
323
962712
1842
Quero compartilo con vostedes
16:16
because of love,
324
964578
1404
polo amor,
16:18
because of compassion,
325
966292
1793
pola compaixón,
16:20
and because of trust and honesty.
326
968109
3087
pola confianza e pola honestidade.
16:23
If you have these few things with you,
327
971220
3418
Se teñen estas cousas,
16:26
you will accomplish.
328
974939
1739
terán éxito.
16:29
We have one poet, Mawlānā Rūmī.
329
977019
3547
Temos un poeta, Mawlānā Rūmī.
16:32
He said that by having compassion
330
980590
4810
El dixo que se se ten compaixón
16:37
and having love,
you can conquer the world.
331
985424
3223
e se se ten amor,
pódese conquistar o mundo.
16:40
And I tell you, we could.
332
988671
1570
E dígolles, nós puidemos.
16:42
And if we could do it in Afghanistan,
333
990265
2261
E se nós puidemos en Afganistán,
16:44
I am sure 100 percent that everyone
can do it in any part of the world.
334
992550
4342
estou segura ao 100 por cento que
calquera pode conseguilo en todo o mundo.
16:48
Thank you very, very much.
335
996916
1739
Grazas, moitas, moitas grazas.
16:50
(Applause)
336
998679
2845
(Aplausos)
16:53
Thank you. Thank you.
337
1001548
5427
Grazas. Grazas.
16:58
(Applause)
338
1006999
3239
(Aplausos)
Translated by Sara Dosil Amor
Reviewed by Carme Paz

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Sakena Yacoobi - Education activist
At the Afghan Institute of Learning, Sakena Yacoobi provides teacher training to Afghan women, supporting education for girls and boys throughout the country.

Why you should listen

Sakena Yacoobi is executive director of the Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL), an Afghan women-led NGO she founded in 1995. After the Taliban closed girls’ schools in the 1990s, AIL supported 80 underground home schools for 3,000 girls in Afghanistan. Now, under Yacoobi’s leadership, AIL works at the grassroots level to empower women and bring education and health services to poor women and girls in rural and urban areas, serving hundreds of thousands of women and children a year through its training programs, Learning Centers, schools and clinics in both Afghanistan and Pakistan.

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 the radio station Meraj in her hometown of Herat, Afghanistan.

More profile about the speaker
Sakena Yacoobi | Speaker | TED.com