Umra Omar

Umra Omar (June 15, 1983) is a Kenyan humanitarian and community conservation strategist.[1][2] She is the founder of Safari Doctors, an organization that delivers primary medical care and health education by boat, air, and land to Bajuni and Aweer communities in Lamu, Kenya.[3] In 2016, Umra Omar was named a Top 10 CNN Hero,[4] and in 2017, she was named the UN in Kenya Person of the Year along with the rest of the Safari Doctors team.[5]

Umra Omar
Born (1983-06-15) June 15, 1983
Mombasa, Kenya
NationalityKenyan
Occupation
  • Humanitarian
  • community conservation strategist

Early life and education

Umra Omar was born in Mombasa, Kenya, on June 15, 1983.[4] Umra and her sister spent their early childhood in Tchundwa, on Lamu Island, while her mother went to the United States to pursue higher education.[6][2] For the duration of her primary school years, Umra studied in Nairobi. When she was 17, she was admitted into the UWC Atlantic College in Wales.[7]

After completing the International Baccalaureate program at Atlantic College,[8] Umra was awarded a scholarship to attend Oberlin College in Ohio.[9] She completed her first degree in neuroscience and psychology, and pursued her master's degree in social justice: intercultural relations at the World Learning Institute in Vermont.[9]

Career and philanthropy

After completing schooling, Umra worked in Washington DC and lived briefly in New York. Between 2012-2014, she worked back and forth between her home country and New York City.[6]

In 2014, Umra went vacation to visit her family in Lamu, Kenya.[6] She was introduced to a French mobile medical project that had become defunct when Al-Shabaab increased their attacks in Lamu County, and along with the nurse, Harrison Kalu, revived what would later become Safari Doctors.[10]

In 2016, Safari Doctors conducted its very first medical sail.[4] Currently, Safari Doctors reaches hundreds of patients a month, primarily women and children,[11] and runs a Youth Health Ambassador program that aims to facilitate youth leadership. Because of the organization's work, Umra Omar was named a Top 10 CNN Hero 2016.[5] The following year, she was named the UN in Kenya Person of the Year.[12]

Personal life

Umra Omar is married and has two young children, aged 2 and 4.[1]

Her father is one of the founders of the Lamu Museum[13] and was a Nominated Member of Parliament.

Her mother is a retired computer scientist and project manager.[14] She is the founder of Ikhlas Foundation [15]

Umra's sister is a former Lamu County Trade, Tourism, Culture and Natural Resources Executive, and an environmentalist who resigned in protest of the Lamu Coal Project.[16] Her youngest sister is a new media professional.

In 2016 Umra founded a small private pre-school to serve families who live on the island[17]

Awards and recognition
  • Umra Omar, Top 10 CNN Hero 2016[1]
  • Safari Doctors and Umra Omar, UN In Kenya Person of the Year 2017[12]
  • Safari Doctors, African Leaders 4 Change Award 2017[18]
  • Umra Omar, Top 40 Under 40 in Kenya 2017[19]
  • OkayAfrica's 100 Women 2017[9]
  • WEF Young Global Leader 2019

References
  1. Torgan, Allie. "Bringing doctors to rural Kenya, despite danger". CNN. Retrieved 2018-10-19.
  2. Harrison, Mike. "Umra Omar: the CNN hero on why she works in a danger zone". Forbes. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
  3. "When the boat comes in: the Safari Doctors of Kenya – in pictures". The Guardian. 2017-10-05. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
  4. Torgan, Ali. "Group braves danger delivering health care to rural Kenya". Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  5. "Umra Omar of Safari Doctors is the '2017 UN Person of the Year'". UNIC Nairobi. United Nations. 2018-03-08. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  6. "TWE Interview: CNN Hero Umra Omar and Safari Doctors". The Women's Eye. 2016-10-11. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
  7. "Founder of Safari Doctors on "Creating Your Sweet Spot"". www.uwc.org. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
  8. "Umra Omar - A UWC Atlantic Alumna that is a 2016 CNN Hero". UWC Kenya. 2016-12-14. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  9. "UMRA OMAR". OkayAfrica. 2017-03-06. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
  10. Timmerman, Kelsey (2018). Where Am I Giving: A Global Adventure Exploring How to Use Your Gifts and Talents to Make a Difference. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. pp. 187–206. ISBN 978-1119454236.
  11. "Doctors With Boats: How a Kenyan Woman Is Keeping Her People Healthy". Global Citizen. Retrieved 2018-10-19.
  12. "Umra Omar of Safari Doctors is the '2017 UN Person of the Year'". United Nations Information Center Nairobi. 2018-03-08. Retrieved 2018-10-19.
  13. "Ikhlas Foundation: About Us".
  14. Cherono, Stella (January 11, 2011). "Public hospitals to immunise children against pneumonia". Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  15. "Management – Ikhlas Foundation". ikhlasfoundation.org. Retrieved 2018-10-19.
  16. Beja, Patrick. "Lamu County official resigns in protest over Sh204b coal power project". Standard Digital. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  17. "WOMAN OF PASSION: Taking medical help to the people". Daily Nation. Retrieved 2018-10-19.
  18. "AWARDEES - African Leaders 4 Change". African Leaders 4 Change. Retrieved 2018-10-19.
  19. "Top 10 Under 40 Women in Kenya 2017". NewsDay Kenya. 2017-10-23. Retrieved 2018-10-19.
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