YEREVAN. – Jamila Afghani, who is a finalist of the 2017 Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity, on Friday arrived in Armenia’s capital city Yerevan, to attend the prize ceremony.

Afghani is Chairperson of the Noor Educational and Capacity Development Organization, in Afghanistan – a polio victim who accidentally received the gift of reading and has dedicated her life to bringing reading and education to girls and women, while enlisting the help of Muslim leaders of faith in her mission.  

The finalists will be honored at the Aurora Prize Ceremony on Sunday. 

The other 2017 Aurora Prize finalists are mother and daughter Fartuun Adan and Ilwad Elman, Founders of the Elman Peace and Human Rights Centre (Somalia); Dr. Muhammad Darwish, Medical Doctor at the Madaya Field Hospital (Syria); Dr. Denis Mukwege, Gynecological Surgeon and Founder of the Panzi Hospital (The Democratic Republic of the Congo); and Dr. Tom Catena (USA), Surgeon at the Mother of Mercy Hospital in the Nuba Mountains, in Sudan.

The 2017 Aurora Prize Laureate will receive a grant of US$100,000 to support the continuation of their work, as well as a US$1,000,000 award, which will give them the unique ability to continue the cycle of giving by supporting organizations that have inspired their work.