Somali Survivor Seeks to Give Back

Civil war destroyed Hussein Magale’s home in Somalia in 1992, when he was around two years old. Forced to flee, he spent the next 16 years in a Kenyan refugee camp.

“I was born in Somalia, raised up in Kenya, now I’m switching over to being an American,” he said.

“(People) live in an open prison, far away from justice and humanity,” Magale said. “They speak, but their voices are never heard.”

Doctors Without Borders eventually came to his camp. So Magale, who speaks three languages, began translating for them.“If they (doctors) were not like that, I wouldn’t have survived,” he said. “Working with them … I understood the power of a medical education.”

Now, he’s a biochemistry sophomore and an aspiring doctor. He translates for the University of Arizona Medical Center’s doctors and assists the Arizona Refugee Connection, which helps people worldwide.

He still has a lot of work ahead of him and medical school is some time away, but his goals for the future are very clear. “When I become a doctor,” he said, ”I’m planning to not only help Somalia or Somali refugees, but anyone who needs it most.”

Learn more on the work of Doctors Without Borders with Somali Refugees.

In Zémio, southeastern Central African Republic (CAR), thousands of people are still living in displaced persons camps, a year after they fled attacks by the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) in their village. An MSF team provides about 600 consultations per week. Photographs by Sarah Elliott.

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