We warmly invite you to a screening of the documentary Through the Fire to be followed by a discussion with special guest Edna Adan Ismail, former Somali First Lady, Foreign Minister, founder and director of the Edna Adan University Hospital of Somaliland.

Through the Fire shows a side of Somalia and Somaliland beyond the familiar reports of piracy, conflict and famine.  It tells the stories of three heroic Somali women, Edna Adan Ismail, Dr Hawa Abdi and Ilwad Elman, who have each led groundbreaking humanitarian initiatives that have sustained their communities for years.  In the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles, these women have worked tirelessly to bring about renewal, laying foundations for health, social and educational infrastructure. 

Although this event is free, donations to the Edna Adan Hospital are greatly appreciated.

For further information, please visit the project website here.

Synopsis

For many years, Nobel Peace nominee Dr Hawa Abdi has been a beacon of hope for 90,000 Somalis who find refuge on her ancestral land. Barely 19, Ilwad Elman returned to war-torn Mogadishu to continue the work of her father, a human rights activist assassinated for pulling child soldiers off the streets and into schools. After witnessing the destruction of her homeland, former First Lady, Edna Adan Ismail, returned to Somaliland to build a hospital out of the rubble. Through the Fire is a story of zeal, compassion and resilience. It shows how three extraordinary women helped hold their country together in its darkest hour. When the world abandoned them and their communities, they refused to give up or walk away.

A documentary by Delphin Films.  Directed by Eunice Lau.  Produced by Arthur Nazaryan & Sarah Winfield