Fatima Al-Aqel – Organization Founder

She was born in 1957, in a family that cares the most about educating their children and boosting their capabilities. She and her sister was blind, therefore, it was difficult for them to pursue their education in Yemen at that time. So, they moved to Egypt and there Fatima started her difficult path until she gained a Degree in Philosophy. Now, the time to reap (the fruits of her efforts) and participate in the labor has come. Her father offered her a job with him, but she chose charitable works instead. She started her work as a social specialist at Al-Noor Institute for Blind Women in Cairo and she was a giving-person and exerted all efforts for six long years until the time to return home was inevitable. It was a moment when the dawn of hope emerged, and the birth of Yemeni blind women light had born. That was the time of sowing the seeds and Al-Noor Center was established. Later, the Yemeni Blind Organization was established and Fatima held a number of positions and performed many roles. She, through her roles, discovered the blind women need to create their own world, where they grow up peacefully and securely in order to proceed with confidence and determination.

She established the school of martyr Fadhl Al-Halali for Blind Women in 1995. It was the first station for her great project, where succession of marvelous stations in the life of blind women occurred which include:

  • Student accommodation, which was launched in 1996 to support the educational aspects

  • Integration Program which connects the blind women to their real-life and society surrounding them. It was started in 1997

  • Establishment of Al-Aman Organization in 1999, which was, and still is, the conclusive point and the triumph in the life of Yemeni blind women.

  • Founding the printing unit, where books and curriculum are printed in Braille (in 2001). It is the first and only unit in Yemen.

  • Launching Al-Dhiaa Kindergarten for blind people in 2002

  • The boom of 2008 due to different achievements. Those achievements included the establishment of Al-Aman Center for Social Training and Rehabilitation, which includes people with dual disability (visual and mental) and literacy. The Cultural Center for university blind students at Sana’a University, and Al-Aman House in Ibb and Taiz governorates. The later center was closed due to the 2011 crises.

  • Memberships in many local and international unions and organizations (World Blind Union (WBU), Asia Blind Union, IDSB Union, Arab Blind Union, Organization of International Rehabilitation – Arab Region, Yemen HWRF)

All these milestones brought Fatima to forget about her own self, her dreams and interests. She thought that there people who are more important to her and their needs come first, whether they are blind or sighted. She cares for both. She lived with a peaceful soul, gentleness, kindness, smile, nice feeling and good characters. She influenced all those who knew her and she was able to motivate and inspire them. Such attributes lasted even after her death. Everyone was shocked when hearing her death news.

Fatima died on 12 January 2012. Her body left us, but her pure soul still lives with us. It provides us with hope, light and encourages us to go forward and follow her footsteps.

“Woman Equivalent to a Nation” Worth Sharing!

لقاء تلفزيوني يحكي سيرة فاطمة العاقل

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