Rahma Al-Ghazaly

A Sudanese education innovator who pioneered mobile libraries to empower rural girls in conflict zones

Rahma Al-Ghazaly is a visionary educator from Sudan who has made groundbreaking contributions to girls' education in regions affected by conflict. Born in 1992 in Khartoum, she witnessed firsthand how war and poverty restricted educational opportunities for girls in Darfur and South Kordofan. In 2021, she founded Mobile Libraries for Girls, an initiative that uses solar-powered trucks equipped with books, computers, and educational materials to reach remote villages. These mobile units also provide safe spaces for girls to attend classes taught by local female teachers.

Al-Ghazaly's approach has directly impacted over 15,000 girls since 2022, with partnerships from organizations like UNESCO and UNICEF. Her work was featured in NPR and the documentary series Educating Under Fire. In 2024, she launched a digital literacy program using offline apps to teach coding and critical thinking skills, adapting to internet scarcity in conflict zones. Her TED Talk "The Books That Bring Peace to War Zones" has garnered over 2 million views, inspiring similar projects in Yemen and Somalia.