Hana & Manal’s Story

Hana and Manal are Somaliland doctors undertaking specialist Orthopaedic training in Jimma, Ethiopia, supported by a 4 year ADFA scholarship. These are their stories.

Dr Hana’s Story

Being a medical doctor and joining medicine was never on my dream list but it was my father’s wish to see me joining med school. So, to fulfill it I started medicine, it was a tough journey.  Fortunately I finished medical school and became a doctor and started work at Hargeisa Group Hospital (Somaliland).

Always I was interested in the surgical field and at the same time I met my mentor Dr Abdirashid Ismail (Orthopedic Surgery Consultant).  He showed me how we can change the world and have a tremendous influence on disabilities which drove me to seek orthopedics specialty today. Now my dream is to continue on to become a pediatric and deformity correction orthopedic surgeon and put a smile on the faces of these kids and their parents, who are struggling with lower limb deformities.

Dr Manal’s Story

Before I joined medical school, my friend sustained an injury and fractured her spine, and I used to visit her in hospital where there were no qualified physicians at that time. It was the exact moment I promised myself to fix bones.

Through my medical school, I used to think that it will be impossible for a lady to pursue orthopaedic as a career until I first met Dr Graham Forward in Hargeisa Somaliland when I was an intern in 2018. I assume it was ADFA’s 9th visit to Somaliland where they operate voluntarily once a year. Currently I’m a 2nd Year orthopaedic resident and ADFA is one of the reasons I’m here. I appreciate ADFA for everything they did for me and for my country.