Hodan Said Isse (; ) is a UNFPA Goodwill ambassador for

Puntland Puntland is an autonomous state that considers itself to be part of Somalia, despite not accepting the legitimacy of Somalia's current governing administration. It was formed in 1998, and was a federal member state of Somalia from its fou ...

. She is the former First Lady of Puntland January 8, 2024–January 8, 2019 and she is a wife of

Abdiweli Mohamed Ali Abdiweli Mohamed Ali GaasBriefi ...

, the former

President of Puntland The president of Puntland is the head of government and state of Puntland. The Presidency was elected by the House of Representatives of Puntland behind establishing the Puntland State in Somalia on August 1, 1998. History and establishment In ...

Early life and education

Hodan Isse, was born in

Hargeisa Hargeisa ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Somaliland, a ''List of states with limited recognition, de facto'' sovereign state in the Horn of Africa, still considered internationally to be part of Somalia. It is also th ...

Somalia Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in continental Africa. The country is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, th ...

. She obtained a Ph.D. in economics from

George Mason University George Mason University (GMU) is a Public university, public research university in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Located in Northern Virginia near Washington, D.C., the university is named in honor of George Mason, a Founding Father ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

, along with two master's degrees, one in economics, the other in international development, from

Ohio University Ohio University (Ohio or OU) is a Public university, public research university with its main campus in Athens, Ohio, United States. The university was first conceived in the 1787 contract between the United States Department of the Treasury#Re ...

. Her contributions to academia led to her being recognized as a clinical assistant professor emeritus at the University at Buffalo School of Management. Hodan actively engages in philanthropic work. She co-founded and serves on the board of the United States-based Somali Mental Health Foundation, which focuses on improving mental health support for the Somali community. Additionally, she holds a position on the board of directors for the Central Bank of Somalia, demonstrating her involvement in the financial sector. Hodan Isse's dedication to supporting refugees in adapting to their new lives is evident through her role as a founder of H.E.A.L., a nonprofit organization based in

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is a Administrative divisions of New York (state), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and county seat of Erie County, New York, Erie County. It lies in Western New York at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of ...

. H.E.A.L. is committed to assisting refugees in settling into their new communities and providing them with the necessary support.

First lady of Puntland

Hodan Isse holds the honorable title of the first lady of Puntland, which further demonstrates her prominent position within the country. She is the wife of Abdiweli Mohamed Ali, the former President of Puntland.

UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador

On January 30, 2019, the

, Said Abdullahi Deni, honored

UNFPA The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is a UN agency aimed at improving reproductive and maternal health worldwide. Its work includes developing national healthcare strategies and protocols, increasing access to birth control, and leadin ...

Somalia Representative Nikolai Botev and Hodan Said Isse, former First Lady for Puntland, with awards for their exceptional leadership and dedication to sustainable institutional development in Puntland. Hodan Isse also serves as the UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador in Puntland for the Campaign for Accelerated Reduction of Maternal Mortality in Africa (CARMMA).

Awards and honors

* Winner of the Outstanding Educational Achievement Award for International Somali Awards 2020. * 100 most influential Women in Somalia

References

External links

School of Management

University at Buffalo The State University of New York at Buffalo (commonly referred to as UB, University at Buffalo, and sometimes SUNY Buffalo) is a public university, public research university in Buffalo, New York, Buffalo and Amherst, New York, United States. ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Isse, Hodan Said Living people First ladies of Puntland 20th-century Somalian women writers 20th-century Somalian writers 21st-century Somalian women writers 21st-century Somalian women politicians United Nations goodwill ambassadors Somalian women in business George Mason University alumni Ohio University alumni Year of birth missing (living people) Somalian women activists Puntland politicians Somalian economists