Inspiration of the day: The Saints of Somalia, Dr Hawa Abdi and Her Daughters

I came across this inspirational video from TED.com about Dr Hawa Abdi, a mother and her two daughters who are doctors in Somalia. They built a camp which now has 90,000 people, with 75 percent of them women and children. With only 5 doctors and 16 nurses they meet about 300 patients a day, perform 10-20 surgeries, and still has the strength to manage the camp and a school of 850 children.

There are only 2 rules to enter the camp:
First rule: there is no clan distinguished and political division in Somali society, anyone who makes it will be thrown out
Second: no man can beat his wife, or he will be put to jail and never released.

One of the quotes I loved:
"...thing that I have realized, that the woman is the most strong person all over the world. Because the last 20 years, the Somali woman has stood up. They were the leaders, and we are the leaders of our community and the hope of our future generations. We are not just the helpless and the victims of the civil war. We can reconcile. We can do everything."

I also love the mother daughter dynamics that they share. When the daughter, Dr. Deqo Mohamed was asked how it's like to be working with her mother she answered:

"She's very tough, it's most challenging. She always expects us to do more. And really when you think you cannot do it, she will push you, and I can do it. That's the best part. She trains us how to do and how to be better people"

They are such a courageous and strong-willed women, and with all that they go through in their daily lives, you can see they still hold such high spirits and a positive attitude with their big smiles and lively demeanor. Seeing this video also makes me feel even more connected to my own mother and the loving person that she is. A thought for today...when you're feeling down, sometimes it helps to remember that there's a bigger world out there and so many people that needs help...it can be overwhelming to think about who to help though... so lets start with the person right next to you. I'll start with giving my mother a hug :)




Some facts about Somalia:

Population: 8,592,000
Capital: Mogadishu; 1,175,000
Language: Somali, Arabic, Italian, English
Religion: Sunni Muslim
Life Expectancy: 46
Literacy Percent: 38
Industry: A few light industries, including sugar refining, textiles, petroleum refining (mostly shut down)
Agriculture: Bananas, sorghum, corn, coconuts; cattle; fish
Exports: Livestock, bananas, hides, fish, charcoal

"The Somalis are one of the most homogeneous peoples in Africa, but unity is thwarted by clan-based rivalries. Civil war ended a 21-year dictatorship in 1991, and Somalia has been without a national government since that time. UN efforts from 1992 to 1995 to stop clan fighting failed, and UN and U.S. forces left after suffering high casualties. In southern Somalia the absence of a government means declining health and increasing poverty." — Text From National Geographic Atlas of the World, Eighth Edition

Some links and articles:
Dr. Hawa Abdi Foundation | Keeping hope alive
Somalia: A nation of “NGOs”
by Drinking tea in Mogadhishu: The life of one Somali-American woman
Somalia NGO Consortium
Glamour's Women of the Year 2010
Dr. Hawa Abdi & Her Daughters: The Saints of Somalia