2015 WISE Prize for Education laureate Dr. Sakena Yacoobi shares her personal motivations that led her to create the Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL).

Afghanistan's "Mother of Education" speaks of her uneducated father's relentless support for her and her siblings' schooling. With his encouragement, she pursued her studies and became a professor in the United States. In this inspirational personal account of her life and motivations, Dr. Yacoobi reminds us of the power of education. For her, education changes lives, provides opportunities, independence and dignity. This is the foundation upon which she built AIL.

The opportunity to learn is what opened doors to children like herself. It is what developed their curiosity and taught them their rights. This is why when she left the US to help make a difference back in an increasingly unstable Afghanistan - she chose to focus on improving education. Her schools and teacher training programs encourage critical thinking, interactivity and curiosity - all based on her fundamental belief that education translates into empowerment not just for the individual, but also for society.

This year's WISE Prize laureate reminds us that leaders who seek peace should not invest in weapons. Speaking to an audience of students, teachers, decision makers and opinion shapers she says, "They should not pay for guns and tanks. They should pay money for books, for schools and pens. Then they could see a peaceful world."