In a nation rebuilding from decades of conflict, a young Somali entrepreneur is offering a new kind of hope, one hearing aid at a time.
Anisa Abdullah, a graduate of Turkish institutions, has opened the first dedicated hearing and audiology center in Somalia, filling a critical gap in her country's healthcare landscape and changing lives for those with hearing loss.
The inspiration for her pioneering business, which opened just seven months ago, came from a stark realisation during her work as an audiologist.
"The reason I opened the centre was this: I realised that there was no such center in Somalia in the field of hearing aids and audiology," Anisa told Anadolu Agency.
"There are a few departments in hospitals that perform the test, but I decided to open this place because there is no business that provides such hearing test services."
Cost of hearing
Before Anisa's centre, Somalis needing hearing aids faced a difficult and expensive journey, often having to source devices from abroad with no local professional support for fitting or maintenance.
"Currently, they can access the hearing aid with the technology they want in their own country without going abroad," she said, highlighting the profound impact of her work.
Anisa's path to becoming a healthcare pioneer was forged during an 11-year stay in Türkiye. She graduated from the Gölbaşı Gevher Nesibe Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School in Ankara and furthered her studies at the University of Health Sciences in Istanbul.
She credits her time in Türkiye with shaping her personally and professionally.
"In Türkiye, my personality developed, my character formed and my perspective on the world changed," Anisa reflected. "Those were very good years in Türkiye, it became my second homeland."
Her connection to the country remains strong; she even occasionally cooks Turkish dishes, citing soups and içli köfte, a traditional bulgur-wrapped meatball, among her favorites.
Amplifying sound
Addressing the unique challenges of studying abroad as a woman, Abdullah acknowledged the difficulty but emphasized its transformative power.
"It is very difficult to go and study in a different country at a young age, but it is also a very important thing because it builds courage," she said. "When you come back to your own country, you know where to start because your character is developed and you are very strong."
As a testament to this, she noted that Somali graduates from Türkiye have attained good jobs back home, establishing businesses and working for the Somali government or for Turkish institutions.
Her message to them, and to all Somalis studying abroad, is one of encouragement and a call to action. Through her own dedication, Anisa Abdullah is not just amplifying sound; she is amplifying opportunity and hope for her nation.
"Let them return to their country and serve," she states. "I am sure that there is a lot to do in this country as it is newly developing and there are many sectors to explore. If they come back, I am sure that they will achieve great things," Anisa said.
