Hawa Ebrahim A. Koshen, faculty affairs specialist, Provost?s office, Zayed University and UNHCR consultant

Although I was born and brought up in Zimbabwe, which is a Christian country, my parents made sure we learnt the Islamic way of life.

I owe it to my parents for the kind of upbringing they gave (my five siblings and me). My mother taught us the Holy Quran at home.

Despite living in a different country, we were never really detached from our roots in Somalia. Right from childhood, my parents inculcated Somali family traditions and cultural bonds in us, which gave us a sense of belonging and a strong cultural identity. I hope I can
do the same for my children.

I feel privileged to have worked for the United Nations. My association goes back to the early 1970s when I first joined the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) office in Mogadishu, Somalia.

I was there for six years before moving to Abu Dhabi to become the UNDP programme associate. (In this position) I was responsible for providing operational/administrative support to developmental activities in the UAE. (These early years in my career) gave me an insight into the workings of various UN departments.

In 1999, I joined Zayed University, where I work at present.

In August 2004, I was offered an assignment with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) ...
... as a consultant to prepare a comprehensive plan of action for Somali refugees. This required me to be based in Nairobi, Kenya, for a year and visit refugee camps to prepare a framework of assistance for Somali refugees living in Kenya, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Yemen as well as those returning to Somalia.

I travelled to various places where refugees and internally displaced people were living and got a feel of their life and needs first-hand.

There has been a protracted civil war in Somalia since 1988. Since then, many Somalis have been living in refugee camps and only now are they beginning to move back.

I relate to them and feel sad about their (predicament), as I too have members of my family who have lived in refugee camps and also many who got killed in the civil war.

So this is a cause that?s very dear to my heart. I feel very emotional about it and wish I could do more. Aid agencies, such as the UN, have formulated several programmes for the resettlement, re-integration or repatriation (of these people).

Living in camps is not a solution.

It?s very frustrating at times, funding is always a problem ... and a lot more needs to be done. But when you interact with these people, you find they are very resilient. Especially the women, who work very hard because they are responsible for the entire family. They regard it as their first duty to ensure that there is food on the table.

These people live in camps away from their homes; they want to return but circumstances don?t allow them to. Even those who go back ... struggle to meet their basic needs.

People in camps live in the hope that some day they will have a better life. Their faith and belief in God helps them overcome challenges. There is a reason for everything; if some suffer, they emerge stronger to face bigger challenges ahead.

Another thing that helps Somalis is their tribal bonds; they are very attached to their extended family so they have moral and social support.

It takes courage to be a refugee. Surviving against all odds takes courage. Living away from your home in a different country on the fringes of survival takes courage too.

A lot of people want to go home; living in camps is not the solution to their suffering. They want to plan for the future but all they have is hope and courage. They are realistic about the fact that there is nothing much waiting (for them) at their homes but they still go in the hope of rebuilding a new life.

For people who are uprooted from their homes, the priority is survival. In acts of desperation, they sometimes risk their lives to break away from the drudgery and go to greener pastures.

The idea is to start a good life elsewhere and make themselves useful to their families. These acts also take courage.

Life is a challenge ...
... but at the same time it?s also a celebration. It goes on, no matter what. In refugee camps people have their basic needs met but for them the real challenge is to be productive. They want to be listened to ... a few comforting words can go a long way.

Even if you can?t do much, letting them know that you are there for them helps. Somalis have strong faith; they accept their situation and (faith is) what keeps them going.

Even in the most dire situations, births happen ... life never stops. People in refugee camps have nothing, but they thank God for peace. They are happy to be alive and away from the fighting. Those who live in peaceful countries don?t realise how precious peace and freedom are.

Work for me means total commitment (I am completely devoted to) my job at the university.
When at home, my duty towards my family is my (top) priority. While working with refugees also I am doing my duty. It?s good to empathise but you also have to (stay detached. You can?t) get too personally involved as this may affect your job.

Hope is not just grounded in suffering ...
... hope is life. Each of us live with a hope and a wish to have a better life and constantly strive to achieve that goal. (Without) hope, life would not move on. My husband (Osman Ali Koshen) and I hope to see our children (Muna, 31, Leila, 30, Suad, 27, Noora, 22, Iman, 21, Marwa, 19, Ali, 16, and Munira, 13) have a good life with good values, health and peace.

After retirement I plan to go back to ...
... (either) Zimbabwe or Somaliland (a state not yet recognised by the UN, which was formerly part of Somalia). We have business interests in both and I have a choice between the two.

I have (recently completed) a personal project that?s very close to my heart. In the capital of Somaliland (Hargeisa), where there is a population of one million, there is not one park or playground.

It was my dream to build a public park there and this has now been completed. We named it Bustan, which means ?garden? in Arabic, and the park was inaugurated on January 28.

I hope to do many more projects in the future too.