Students challenged to go beyond ordinary duties

Abstract

Students have been challenged to go beyond ordinary duties and responsibilities and make a difference in society.

This was the highlight of a lecture by Dr. Deqo Mohamed, Chief Executive Officer, Dr Hawa Abdi Foundation (DHAF) and daughter of Dr. Hawa Abdi.

In her presentation, Dr. Mohamed told of her mother’s moving and amazing journey that saw to the setting up of the Dr. Hawa Abdi General Hospital and Dr Hawa Abdi Foundation (DHAF). In 1983, Dr. Abdi began providing free obstetrician services to around 24 rural women per day, from a one-room clinic on family-owned land in the Lower Shebelle region in Somalia. Since then, in the midst of the Somali civil war, Dr. Abdi and her family have provided care to over 2 million people. Today, her two daughters, Dr. Amina Mohamed and Dr. Deqo Mohamed have joined her in keeping hope alive for Somalia and their family land has grown to encompass a 400 bed hospital with a staff of 126, a school and a refugee camp for over 90,000 women and children who were displaced by war.

Indeed, this is a moving story. In 2010, Glamour named Dr. Abdi and her daughters "Women of the Year," and called them the "Saints of Somalia." In 2012, she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. After the lecture, Dr. Deqo signed copies of Dr. Abdi’s book Keeping Hope Alive which were available for sale.

The lecture is part of a series of lectures scheduled to take place this year in partnership with Columbia Global Centers, Africa. Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic Affairs, Prof. Henry Mutoro, Principal, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Prof. Enos Njeru, Director, Columbia Global Centers, Africa, Dr. Belay Begashaw, Dr. Abdi’s daughter Dr. Amina Mohamed, representatives from the Somali Embassy, staff and students were present during the lecture.