Aurora award finalists told about their activity in Yerevan

ArmInfo.On May 26, the American University of Armenia hosted an event in which four Aurora Award finalists Fartun Adan, Jamila Afganis, Dr. Tom Catena and Dr. Denis Mukvege talked about their activities and answered questions about their work.

The event was opened by the rector of the American University of  Armenia Armen Ter-Kyureghyan, noting that only an educated person can  help those who need help, he noted that this is why AUA is the most  suitable place for holding such events.

The event was initiated by the founder of the "Aurora" award Ruben  Vardanyan and the first winner of the prize Marguerite Barankits. The  latter noted the ability of the award to teach people empathize.  According to her, the refugees who she helps are very happy to help  people from Armenia. In her opinion, these people feel the  indifference of these people to their difficulties and grief, which  makes them happy and gives the chance to continue to continue life.

American surgeon and missionary of the Catholic Church was the first  who talked about his activities the only doctor of the hospital  "Mother of Mercy" Tom Catena. He works in the Nubian Mountains of  Sudan, where civil war has been going on for already 30 years. "  People from all the region come to his hospital.Very important fact  is the opening of maternity department in this hospital. Many women  give birth at home, as not everyone has the opportunity to come to  the hospital, but this hospital has significantly reduced the  percentage of women's deaths, this is the only hospital in the  district that conducts cesarean section. It is terrible every day to  see people traumatized from the war. I hope that with the help of  this prize we will be able to improve the conditions of our hospital,  "said Katena.

Fartun Adan and her daughter Ilvad Elman are the founders of the  Elman Center for Peace and Human Rights in Somalia. Their activities  concern the protection of human rights and women's rights, peace  consolidation, development and rehabilitation, taking part in the  fighting of children is associated with constant danger. Adan was  supposed to come with her daughter Ilvad Elman, but her daughter was  forced to stay in Somalia, as she was negotiating about the children.  She noted that their organization raises the issue of violence  against women in the country, organizers of the Elman Center traveled  around the country and saw many examples of violence against women.  Very soon, women from all over the country began to turn to this  center. "I really hope that this problem will be solved soon," Adan  said.

Another nominee for the award is Jamil Afghan, chair woman of the  Organization for Capacity Building and Development of the Nur  Education System, a victim of childhood poliomyelitis, which now  eradicates women's illiteracy and helps girls and women to get  education and conducts educational work among Muslim leaders. Afghani   was educated because she had a disability and her parents allowed her  to go to school. "After my training, I realized what role education  can play and how important it is that everyone has the opportunity to  receive it," said Afghani. She began working with clergymen,  explaining the importance of women's training, and very soon she was  able to convince many of them of the need for women in education as  well as men.

Next, Dr. Denis Mukwege said: "Initially, I was an obstetrician, but  after I saw how the mothers of these children were suffering, I was  re-trained in a gynecologist and began to help them, too," Mukwege  said. He is a surgeon and gynecologist and the founder of the Panzi  Hospital in the Congo, which provides physical, psychological and  legal assistance to over 50,000 victims of sexual violence, as well  as seeking to find the perpetrators and bring them to justice.

The 5-th finalist of the award - Muhammad Darwish - the doctor of the  field hospital in Syrian Maday could not come because of the lack of  necessary documents. He was a student and studied to become a  dentist, but then returned to his hometown and began to provide the  population with full medical care.  Many of his patients are children  affected by the ongoing armed conflict in the region. All this helped  to draw public attention to the besieged city.

After presenting their activities, Aurora award finalists answered  the questions, which were sent via internet and the most interesting  ones were read.