Training Course in Sexual and Reproductive Health Research 2011 - List of participants - GFMER members pages
Abdihamid Ibrahim Ahmed
Islamic Relief, Galkaio, Somalia
Abdihamid Ibrahim Ahmed, MD
Health Officer/clinician, Islamic Relief Somalia Program
abdihamid100@yahoo.com
I am 27 yrs old clinician currently practicing in Galkaio, Puntland Somalia. I did diploma in clinical medicine and surgery at Egerton university Kenya and that is my highest academic achievement. This was scholarship given to me when I won top in national form four final qualifying exams in whole puntland and Somaliland regions in 2003. I was sponsored by the EU thorough UNESCO.
I went there and my academic performance was again wonderful dominating the Kenyan classmates who studied in a peaceful country with all educational structures in place unlike my war country- Somalia, where it is very difficult for somebody to learn and even reach secondary school. I remember at times where most of the students leave the school except very few including me and they move to another town just because of continuous and never ending wars in the town i was studying. so I completed my secondary school in such hostile area and emerged top. my father was such an inspirational man and used to encourage me not to leave the school so that in the future I will help them.
When I was taken to Kenya I didn't know what we were learning was diploma I was thinking it is medical degree which was my childhood dream, so when I realized that it is diploma I decided to continue and finish it first because beggars don't choose. The sponsors aim was to skill us in short period and take us back so that we can contribute to overall health in our country immediately. They were thinking Somali students could not go direct to medical school just because of ongoing wars had affected their educational systems but that was not the case, learning depends on the persons determinations and hardworking and not from the country you are from.
During my stay at the university lectures even surprised my performance and they could not believe it, I now have letters from the dean faculty of health sciences and chairman department of clinical medicine certifying my performance and recommending me to further my studies in medical field. so the scholarship get finished after 3 years and I came back to my home country , people were very surprised at me asking why I came back and the country's situation is deteriorating but I told I learn t to assist my brothers and sisters who are for simple curable ailments daily.
Now I am working with international NGO called Islamic Relief of which its base is Birmingham UK as a Clinical officer and I see 50 patients per day in a very busy clinic in a big internally displaced camp outside Galkaio. I also teach local university as part time job. In the evening i have got my own clinic in the town where I see some 10 to 15 patients. That is too much work busy but now I am rewarding my parents and brothers who are big family with no any other source of income. They are very much happy with my education and achievements so far.
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