While in power, the Taliban implemented the "strictest interpretation of Sharia law ever seen in the Muslim world," and became notorious internationally for their alleged treatment of women. Women were forced to wear the burqa in public and they were allowed neither to work nor to be educated after the age of eight, and until then were permitted only to study the Qur'an. Women seeking an education were forced to attend underground schools, where they and their teachers risked execution if caught.

Without equivocation, starting an enterprise to educate women during this time period would not seem like a likely scenario. However, sometimes out of the most extreme conditions, courageous leaders respond with innovation. As Sakena Yacoobi, founder of the Afghan Institute of Learning, explains in this interview with host Sheela Sethuraman, "When you see the need ... you just feel like you have to do something."

In this audio interview you'll hear Yacoobi describe how she founded the AIL, what were key management strategies that lead to its success, and her long term vision for AIL and Afghanistan. An inspiring story for social innovators everywhere, Yacoobi provides proof of how working from the heart with clear objectives can be a powerful source for social change.