Mother and daughter who are unwavering in their mission to protect human rights, women’s rights, and facilitate peace building, development and the rehabilitation of child soldiers amidst insecure and dangerous conditions.  

As Fartuun explains, “My husband lost his life because of his aversion to violence. So, I knew I had to spend mine protecting those who were most vulnerable to it.” On her return to Somalia she founded The Elman Peace and Human Rights Centre, which looks at the underlying causes that pull people – especially young boys – into armed conflicts, and works to build peace through education and training. After more than two decades of conflict, a generation of Somali children has lost out on the opportunity of a formal education. There are very few public schools, and extreme poverty makes it nearly impossible for parents to afford school fees. 

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