Somalilandsun – The keynote speaker for Walden University’s 53rd Commencement in Orlando, Fla., was Edna Adan.
The former Foreign Minister and First Lady of Somaliland is also the director and founder of the Edna Adan Maternity Hospital in Hargeisa. She shares her words of wisdom with our January 2015 graduating class.
Brief Edna Bio
After studying nursing, midwifery, and hospital management, Ms. Adan, former Foreign Minister and First Lady of Somaliland, became the first qualified nurse-midwife in Somaliland. She was then recruited to join the World Health Organization (WHO), where she held various key positions advocating for the abolition of harmful traditional practices, such as female circumcision.
Ms. Adan’s accomplishments and entrepreneurial spirit have been recognized around the world. She was admitted to the Medical Mission Hall of Fame at the University of Toledo, holds an honorary doctoral degree from Clark University in Massachusetts, and was made honorary fellow of Cardiff University School of Nursing in Wales. She was also featured in the acclaimed PBS documentary, “Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide.” for more on her work visit www.ednahospital.org/
