Hawa Abdi

Dr. Hawa Abdi Foundation

Hawa Abdi is a human rights activist and doctor, specializing in gynecology.

A native of Somalia, Abdi studied gynecological medicine in Ukraine in the 1960s after receiving a scholarship. She returned to Somalia in 1971 and opened a clinic on her family's ancestral land in the outskirts of Mogadishu, focused on treating women from rural areas.

In 1983, Abdi founded the Dr. Hawa Abdi Foundation, which provides healthcare, food, and shelter to Somalis fleeing violence. After the Somali Civil War began in 1991, she turned her land into a camp for internally displaced persons. As of 2012, Abdi's land was housing over 90,000 people.

Along with Sarah J. Robbins, Abdi is the author of Keeping Hope Alive: One Woman - 90,000 Lives Changed. She was nominated for the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize.