Souad Akib

Akib is a native of Morocco, has been a member of the Malden Community for over 20 years. She is the mother of two daughters and is well known for her work at Century Bank.

Souad, who is fluent in Arabic, French and English, helped as much as she could as she met many Arab families, through her work, who were facing various difficulties and needed translation services. However, she felt the need to do more to make a difference in the Arab community. She wanted to make new arrivals feel welcome, safe and accepted.

In 2010, Akib formed the American Association for Arab woman (AAAW) with the help of a group of intellectuals, actors and individuals who were also interested in the issues of immigrant Arab families. The AAAW is non-profit with the mission of “Empowering Arab woman to be leaders in their families and communities in an American Society, through becoming knowledgeable on their rights, making informed decisions on issues, foster networks and opportunities, sustaining an organized community, learning the necessary communication skills and overcoming cultural and language barriers. Arab woman are at the core of family strength in our community.”