My name is Ismail Mohamed Hersi. I am originally from Burao, Togdheer region of Somaliland.

My beginnings were humble like the majority of my generation who were born in the postwar Somaliland. Among my siblings, I was the only one who was fortunate to get a proper schooling. In the year 2013, I finished high school and graduated from Sh. Bashir Secondary School in Burao. My ambition was to pursue a quality higher education. However, with dark clouds on the horizon, and financial constraints limiting my options, I was not sure of how things will work out! Fortunately, I was contacted by the Ministry of Education and higher Education in Somaliland, through then principle of my school, may Allah bless his soul, informing me that I was selected for a full tuition scholarship offered by Darlington Gacmadhere Foundation - Surprisingly, my first time to hear about a foundation that would turn later to a life-long Family! - and that I can pursue any undergraduate degree/subject at any university in Somaliland. After a rigorous competition, I started medical school at the University of Hargeisa - College of Medicine and Health Sciences. Supported by Darlington Foundation and not having to worry about the financial aspects of my education, I was able to focus on my studies. Efforts finally came to fruition when I finished the 7-year-long journey in 2020 with spectacular records. During my internship training in Hargeisa Group Hospital, I was experiencing firsthand, on one side, the need for further expertise in all different medical/surgical specialities, and the healthcare sector in general. On the other side, I was exploring opportunities landscape for the fresh junior doctors. Given that Graduate Medical Education in Somaliland is still in the toddler stage, it was necessary to search for opportunities for further training abroad! Exploring options outside the country I came across opportunities in the Gulf countries. Once again, I decided to embark on this journey. I took international competency exams - in Clinical Knowledge and English Language - and, finally, I was able to land an on-the-job specialty training position in the government sector in the state of Qatar. In conclusion, Darlington Gacmadhere Foundation is my second family I am proud and feel lucky to belong to such a family standing for providing education for the best of the best of Somaliland's youth based solely on their academic merits and financial needs