Story of AWAKEN's Founder

Founded in Muncie, Indiana, AWAKEN serves as an exemplar of Bibi's lifetime of service to others. Born in the village of Qala-e-Malakh, in the Behsood district of eastern Afghanistan, Bibi was deeply influenced by her parents' unwavering commitment to serving disadvantaged members of the village. At a young age, she learned and practiced values of service and community by working alongside them, always volunteering to help in any way she could.

Life as she knew it completely changed when Bibi was just thirteen years old – it was 1979 and the Soviet Union had invaded Afghanistan. The resulting war devastated the country and led to the deaths of millions of Afghans; Bibi herself lost many family members including one of her brothers, three cousins and her grandfather.

She and her family were forced to flee from their home. For two days they walked through the mountains to get to Peshawar, Pakistan, where they lived in a refugee camp for the next six years. With no safe way for girls to get an education, Bibi spent her time helping others: cooking, cleaning, and giving vaccinations and IVs to anyone in need of care at the makeshift clinics at camp.

As fate would have it, her future husband Saber was a refugee at the same camp and came from the same village of Qala-e-Malakh. Saber, a bright medical student whose education was disrupted by the war, also served at one of the camp clinics to help those in need, just like Bibi. Saber's parents loved the idea of Bibi as a future wife, and her parents likewise loved the idea of Saber as Bibi's future husband. Bibi and Saber became engaged shortly before Saber left for the U.S. to further his medical career.

In 1986, at the age of 19, Bibi came to Muncie, Indiana and married Saber, who was finishing his residency. After learning English and earning her GED, she continued her education at Ball State University, all while raising six children. Bibi beat the odds not only as a refugee but also as a mother and a caretaker. She credits the U.S. education system and the luxury of having safe daycare while in school for making it possible for her to achieve this dream. Still, there was not a day that went by since she moved to the U.S. that she did not think about the women and children she left behind, the ones who were not as fortunate as her.

Over the years Bibi and Saber have made several trips back to the refugee camps in Pakistan and to the rural villages of Afghanistan. Since the war, over 7 million Afghans had been displaced from their homes and the need was greater than ever. Each time they visited, Bibi and Saber took medical and humanitarian supplies and treated as many people as possible. After the September 11 terrorist attack, there was a window of hope and opportunity for change in Afghanistan due to increased U.S. support. Realizing that this was her chance to finally give back to the communities they left behind, Bibi founded the nonprofit AWAKEN in 2002 with the goal of providing educational opportunities, vocational training, and healthcare to women and children of Afghanistan.