About

Learn more about Saleha's life and career.

Saleha Waheb Wassel

Humanitarian , Poet and Artist

PROFESIONAL CAREER

Saleha Waheb Wassel was born in 1960 in Kabul, Afghanistan. She spent most of her youth in Afghanistan where she finished her Master’s degree in Business and Marketing. In 1989, she migrated to the Netherlands and continued her education in various scientific fields such as nursing, computer sciences, and business administration. Similar to her education, Saleha’s artistic career is not limited to only one field. It entails a colorful spectrum of creativity mixed with genuine talent and diligence. In this vein, Wassel is a professional painter as well as a poet. In 1978, she won her first painting prize at an Inter-Asia competition. Additionally, she has engaged with the newer art forms and makes digital designs. Her body of work consists of 33 literary pieces, out of which 26 have been published.

During her formative years, Saleha showed early signs of substantial talent that led to the publication of her poems in “Atfal magazine”, a magazine for the children of Afghanistan. Saleha’s work was praised by her teachers and her classmates were fans of her poetry. Ever since she has realized the power and the joy that she brings to others through her poetry, she has not stopped writing and expressing herself through art. Saleha’s authentic expressions in various artistic mediums such as poetry, painting, music, and digital design reflect her adventurous and inspiring life marked with the experience of migration, womanhood, and diligent attempts for understanding art and its workings in society.

Saleha Wassel uses her writing skills together with her gift of poetry and understanding of art in order to inspire and move her audience. Her poetry mostly written in Indian and Khorasanian classic styles deals with various concepts such as human rights, the idea of the hometown, love, war, and migration on a deep philosophical level. Her magnum opus, The Lost Pearl, contains a wide range of poems that touch upon various literary traditions of Persian poetry including Sufism and mysticism. Simultaneously, The Lost Pearl engages with romanticism and lyric poetry. Saleha appropriates the medium of poetry in order to represent the oppressed inner voice of the women of Afghanistan that do not get the chance to speak their truth. Her poetry attempts to demonstrate the power and value of freedom of expression for all human beings regardless of their gender.

Achievements

During her career, Wassel has engaged with various cultural associations. In 2005, for two consecutive years, she became a member of the Roshan association. In 2007, she joined AKIS in Austria. From 2009 up until 2013, she was appointed as the editor, designer, and responsible director of Banu magazine. In 2012, she was selected as the president of the women's association at the UvAviN, the union of Afghan associations in the Netherlands. Additionally, in 2012, she founded OFoundation which is a family-oriented NGO. In 2015, she created an online Dari dictionary (Qamoose Kabire Aghanistan) which is a work in development up until this day. In 2016, she became a member of the Afghan-German Universities Association in Bonn. In 2019, Saleha Waheb Wassel became a member of the Afghan Pen Association. In 2022, Saleh Waheb Wassel became a member of Sabzmanesh, a global cultural development foundation where she was appointed as the head and representative from the Netherlands. Wassel actively participates and creates content for sites such as Afghan-German Online, 24Sahat, Jame Ghor, Guftoman, Noor, Rawzana. Wassel has participated in more than 30 literary, Afghanistan Diaspora, and cultural conferences across Europe.

2019-01-01

2020-01-01

2021-01-01

2019-01-01

1960

Saleha Waheb Wassel was born in 1960 in Kabul, Afghanistan. She graduated with her Master’s degree in Business and Marketing in Afghanistan.

1989

In 1989, she migrated to the Netherlands and continued her education in various scientific fields such as nursing, computer sciences, and business administration.

2005

In 2005, for two consecutive years, she became an active member of the Roshan association which an Afghan association where Afghan women join forces to help each other.

2007

In 2007, she joined AKIS- Afghan Cultural Association in Austria.

2009

In 2009, she was appointed as the editor, designer, and responsible director of the Afghan's women magazine, Banu.

2012

In 2012, she was selected as the president of the women's association at the UvAviN, the union of Afghan associations in the Netherlands. Additionally, in 2012, she founded OFoundation which is a family-oriented NGO.

2015

In 2015, she created an online Dari dictionary (Qamoose Kabire Aghanistan) which is a work in development up until this day.

2016

In 2016, she became a member of the Afghan-German Universities Association in Bonn.

2019

Saleha Waheb Wassel became a member of the Afghan Pen Association.

2022

Saleh Waheb Wassel became a member of Sabzmanesh, a global cultural development foundation where she was appointed as the head and representative from the Netherlands.

Success Story

AWESOME WORKS THAT SALEHA'S CONTRIBUTED TO. PROUDLY!

Certificate, Honors and Diplomas

Throughout the years, Saleha has obtained a great number of certificates, honours, and diplomas. Click more to find out about it all.

MISSION

Saleha aims to reach one billion people and inspire them with the message of respect for the Afghan Woman, granting afghan women and men equal human rights. In this vein, gaining the attention of the people inside and outside of Afghanistan and the neighbouring countries, such as Iran and Tajikistan, is one of Saleha’s main goals. In order to be able to better convey the unheard message of Afghan women to the world and to battle the minds of ignorant people, Sale states that women should have the same human rights as men all over the world. That is of course because man and woman are both human beings who have been created in the same form but of two different sexes. Neither men nor women have the authority to exploit the right of the other. Women in every country comprise half of society and it is wrong to ignore them. In this respect, Afghan women deprived of their human, social, cultural, and political rights for many years should no longer be held captive by the opposite sex.

VISION

Saleha creates awareness about the situation of Afghan women and their human rights by writing stories, creating art and poetry. In order to inspire the public with her mission, writing stories and painting paintings that reflect the women's lives and express the reality of living in Afghanistan is substantial. Together with composing poems that illustrate different aspects of the Afghan people, especially women and children, Saleha presents to the world a perspective concerning the vulnerable lives of Afghan people. It is clear that serious attention should be given to the miserable state of Afghan women in their daily lives. In this concern, Saleha’s vision is another step in this direction.