Nothing could stop Somalian immigrant, Khadro Awad Mohamud, an optometrist living in Westerville, from pursuing her dreams.
With the gumption and determination that rivals even the most motivated individuals, Mohamud spent seven years in optometry school to earn her degree before traveling 7,750 miles back to her home country of Somalia, bringing her knowledge to those without access to professional vision care.
“My plan is to establish an eye hospital in Somalia, especially in my city so the people will not have to travel to another city to get eyecare,” says Mohamud.
Setting Goals
While living in Somalia, Mohamud realized that many areas of the country didn’t have access to vision care or reliable doctors resulting in visual impairments, blindness and diseases that could be treated with the proper attention.
“In America, we can see a doctor or optometrist every year whenever you need. In Somalia, they don’t have that opportunity,” says Mohamud. “They have to travel to another city to see an optometrist and I realized that a lot of people, even my family, go blind because of the lack of eye doctors, so I wanted to prevent blindness in Somalia.”
With her goal in mind, Mohamud pursued a degree in optometry. While they aren’t medical doctors, optometrists attend optometry school rather than medical school to earn a doctoral degree.
Khadro Mohamud
After Mohamud graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Optometry and Visual Science in 2015 from Al Neelain University in the city of Khartoum, Sudan she traveled to the United States whereshe earned a Master’s degree through the Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus University in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania.
“So when I became a citizen of the USA and I had my Master’s degree from the USA, that was my biggest dream,” says Mohamud. “So right now, I had everything that I dreamed.”
But, to achieve her dream of providing accessible eyecare services in Somalia, Mohamud would need to gather a community of individuals who were just as compassionate as she was.
Global Outreach
When she moved to Westerville to be with her now husband, Abdirahman Mohamed in 2020, Mohamud connected with the Westerville Lions Club and joined in August 2023. One of the many services the Westerville Lions supports is providing care to the visually impaired. Mohamud found her community and developed connections.
“They helped me because whenever you have a project, you have to ask them if they will help you decide on a project that will benefit your community, and they will nominate your project,” says Mohamud.
With the help of members from the Westerville Lions, Mohamud organized a sister club in Bosaso, Somalia in January 2024. The goal was to create a connection between her two communities and establish the first Lions Club branch in Somalia.
Khadro Mohamud
Along with five volunteers, Mohamud conducts screening tests to determine eye health or potential problems with vision for the residents in Basaso.
Since starting the clinic, Mohamud has conducted free eye examinations for more than 100 residents in Basaso.
“…We also did our orientation to the teachers and the students in some schools in Bosaso to teach the people how to protect their eyes and when you need to see a doctor,” she says.
With the newly established eye clinic in Somalia, Mohamud is determined to continue expanding and reaching more individuals in need of eye care.
Her drive is exemplified through the goals she continues pursuing in both Westerville and Somalia. Mohamud has plans to establish a hospital in Basaso so residents won’t have to drive hours to receive proper eye surgery or attention.
Along with the development of the hospital, her goal is to bring in more optometrists as a way to care for more patients. She has plans to make these dreams a reality through dedication and collaboration with the Westerville Lions.
“The main thing that inspires me from the Lions Club is how they serve the community as volunteers. They are doing amazing projects,” says Mohamud. “So that has inspired me to do more things for my community.”
Aside from the clinic and club involvement, Mohamud continues to educate residents through a book she wrote and published about vision care and treatment. The proceeds from her published book go towards free vision screenings and eye examinations at local schools throughout Bosaso and Westerville.
The sister Lions Club in Somalia has supplied countless community members with their eye care needs. This dream was made a reality through the hard work of Mohamud, the community of individuals who supported her and her ability to set goals and chase her dreams no matter what obstacles stood in her way.
“I will never stop, I will keep trying until I do it and until I prove I can do it,” says Mohamud.
Amber Phipps is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
