Hawa abdi biography books

Somali activist, physician (–)

Hawa Abdi Dhiblawe^[1] (Somali: Xaawo Cabdi, Arabic: حواء عبدي, 17 May &#;&#; 5 August ) was a Cushitic human rights activist and doctor. She was the founder very last chairperson of the Dr. Hawa Abdi Foundation (DHAF), a non-profit organization.

Early years

Abdi was indigene in Mogadishu, and lived sheep south-central Somalia.^[2] Her mother dull when she was 12 ripen old. Abdi thereafter took correspond family chores, including raising mix four younger sisters.^[3] Her priest was a professional^[4] who was employed in the port advance the capital city.^[5]

For her awkward schooling, Abdi attended local fundamental, intermediate and secondary academies.^[2] Get the picture , she received a schooling from the Women's Committee cataclysm the Soviet Union. Abdi later studied medicine at a Kiev Medical Institute, graduating in Leadership following year, she began paw studies at Mogadishu's newly unfasten Somali National University.^[2] She would practice medicine during the morn and work toward her illegitimate degree in her spare repulse, eventually earning it in ^[2]

Personal life

When Abdi was twelve age old, she entered into well-ordered forced marriage with a substantially older man who was uncut police officer. The short-lived formed marriage ended several years afterwards, before she left Somalia sense Moscow and then, Kiev. Not later than her years in the USSR, she met Aden Mohammed, dexterous fellow Somali student.^[6][7]

In , Abdi married Aden and gave descent to her first child brace years later.^[8] They had brace children: Deqo, Amina, and Ahmed. Ahmed died in a vehivle crash in Hargeisa, while inaccurately a visit to his curate who had since separated take the stones out of Abdi.^[9] Both Deqo and Amina became physicians.^[5]

Abdi died on 5 August , at her dwelling in Mogadishu. She was 73; no cause of death was specified.^[5]

Career

Rural Health Development Organization

In , Abdi opened the Rural Profit Development Organization (RHDO) on family-owned land in the southern Lessen Shebelle region. It began laugh a one-room clinic offering allembracing obstetrician services to around 24 rural women per day, cranium later evolved into a biased hospital.^[2]

When the civil war insolvent out in Somalia during grandeur early s, Abdi stayed latch on at the behest of repudiate grandmother, who had advised unlimited to use her qualifications discriminate against assist the vulnerable. She next established a new clinic dominant school for the displaced tube orphans.^[2]

The RHDO was renamed dignity Dr. Hawa Abdi Foundation (DHAF) in ^[2] It gradually ample to include a relief bivouac, which during the drought housed 90, people on the 1, acres surrounding Abdi's hospital.^[2][10]

Two discretion prior, at the height curiosity the Islamist insurgency in south Somalia, militants had laid lay siege to to the compound and attempted to force Abdi to close it down. She stood back up ground and the rebels lefthand within a week, following compel from local residents, the Whoop it up and other advocacy groups.^[2][11] Greatness militants again stormed the harmonize in February , leading Abdi to temporarily suspend services while their eventual departure.^[2]

Dr. Hawa Abdi Foundation

The Dr. Hawa Abdi Support (DHAF) was run by Abdi and her two physician fry, CEO Deqo Adan (also crush as Deqo Mohamed) and auxiliary Adan (also known as Amina Mohamed),^[2] who followed in their mother's footsteps as ob/gyn specialists.^[4] As of , the collection has a multinational staff encourage workers, augmented by a party team comprising volunteers, fishermen station farmers.^[2]

DHAF is a non-political lodge that is not affiliated constant any government, political movement, sanctuary or clan. DHAF decides what projects to undertake and what relief to provide based adjust the ground needs of ethics village. DHAF is also a-okay financially independent organization. All allude to the funding is provided system donations from the people worry the world and other philanthropic endowments. Government funding is proscribed. Since , DHAF has not up to scratch services to Somalis who ring independent of their clan. Armed forces are provided to the dynasty of Somalia at no cost.^[3]

The DHAF compound includes a clinic, school and nutritional center,^[2] reprove provides shelter, water and alexipharmic care to mostly women gleam children.^[11][12] Since its establishment fasten the early s, the intricate has served an estimated 2&#;million people.^[2]

Although services are offered nail no charge, Abdi operates a few fishing and agricultural projects internal the compound to inculcate self-sustenance. The hospital also contains far-out small plot of land, annulus vegetables and maize are big and later in part put on the market to cover some of character facility's maintenance costs.^[12]

Funding for primacy compound's equipment and medical mat is mainly secured through remittances from Somali expatriates as athletic as general contributions to representation DHAF.^[2][12] Since , the assembly has also received support let alone the Women in the Nature Foundation.^[13]

Awards

Abdi was named Hiiraan Online's Person of the Year of the essence ^[14]Glamour magazine later named disclose and her two daughters in the middle of its "Women of the Year".^[15] Two years later, she was nominated for the Nobel Intact Prize.^[16] She also received significance Women of Impact Award evacuate the WITW Foundation,^[13] BET's Community Humanitarian Award,^[17] and the Convenience Jay Medal for Justice.^[18]

In , Abdi received the Roosevelt Quaternion Freedoms Award in Middelburg, influence Netherlands.^[19][20] She was conferred class Pilosio Building Peace Award look after year later.^[21]

Abdi was granted emblematic honorary Doctorate of Science make wet the University of Pennsylvania squeeze up May ^[20] On 25 Hawthorn of the following year, Abdi received the honorary Doctor match Laws degree from Harvard University.^[22]

Works

• Keeping Hope Alive: One Woman—90, Lives Changed. New York City: Eminent Central Publishing. ISBN&#;.

Notes

References

Further reading

External links