Visiting Somaliland: Faatumo Bihi and the Faatumo Bihi School

Dear Reader

Frank our fotographer has arrived safe and sound in Hargeisa and has moved in at the Edna Adan University Hospital on the second floor were the single male guests reside.
Edna took him for a drive around town on his first afternoon and Frank got a good idea of the the place now.

Among others we met a very special woman yesterday, her name is Faatumo Bihi Koshin. And here is her story.

In 1988 when Edna was still working for the WHO and living in Djibouti, she got a phone call from Hargeisa asking her to accomodate a little 6 year old girl for two days before transferring her to the military hospital in Djibouti. The girl was an orphan and had lost both legs when accidentally stepping onto a landmine a few months prior. Now, she needed more operations which would have to be performed in Djibouti. Edna would not be Edna if she would not have agreed after only a short moment of 'what on earth am I going to do with a little girl?'. So Faatumo was sent off to Djibouti where she was picked-up by Edna. The little girl was very scared and tense so Edna decided to take her on a drive around town and down to the seaside. Once they got there, Faatumo started screaming and seemed to be terrified at the sight of the sea. Edna did not understand at first but when she realised it was the waves and the water the child was so scared off, she drove away and the girl slowly calmed down again.

Again, Edna would not be Edna, had she not immediately started to thinking of a way to 'cure' Faatumo from this fear of the sea. She called some friends, a couple with three kids who loved to swim. She asked them to meet with her the next day down at the beach with the children. So they did and when Faatumo saw where they were heading, she started panicking again. This time, they got out of the car and Edna held her tight while walking towards the water. The others were already there and having fun, swimming and splashing around. Edna reached the water and slowly introduced Faatumo to it, pouring it over her while talking to her calmly. The little girl could not but notice that nothing bad was happening and that the other kids were having heaps of fun. She slowly calmed down and before long, she too was playing. By the time they were ready to leave, Edna could not get her out of the water anymore that's how much Faatumo liked it.

Edna realised that this was a very special child she had on her hands and she decided to support Faatumo so she could get proper medical attention as well as a proper education. And that's exactly what happend.

A few years later, Faatumo was now 12 years old, she was invited to Geneva to represent her country Somaliland at a congress on the elimination of landmines. Lady Diana was a strong advocate on that topic and she was present at the congress. When Faatumo met Lady Di, she was asked what her greatest wish would be. Faatumo replied that she wants to go to school every day. Lady Di looked at Kofi Annan who stood right behind her and they agreed that this should be made possible and Faatumo should be picked-up and returned every day between her home and school. But that was not what Faatumo had in mind. She thanked Lady Diana and Kofi Annan for their good intentions and said: 'I want a school in the village I live for ALL the children to attend'. And so it happend. A school was built in the village, actually in the direct neighbourhood of Faatumo's house. It includes several buildings and a canteena and they called it the Faatumo Bihi Elementary School.

Today, Faatumo is 25 years old, married and the mother of two little kids. After completing both primary and secondary school she studied ICT (Information and Computer Technology) and she intends to continue studying. If you did not know it you would never guess that she walks on a pair of artificial legs. She works for an organisation who helps handicapped people. Her smile is heartwarming and the power radiating from her eyes is humbling. She is very kind and I feel honored to have met her.