Saturday April 19, 2025
Somali Ambassador to Kenya, Jabril Ibrahim Abdulle (center), poses with Saudi officials, medical staff, and families of Somali children who received life-changing hearing implants during a ceremony in Nairobi, Kenya, on April 19, 2025. The surgeries, funded by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre, enabled 15 children to hear for the first time.
Mogadishu (HOL) — Fifteen Somali children heard for the first time after undergoing life-changing surgeries in Nairobi to implant advanced hearing devices funded by Saudi Arabia—a moment that brought sound, hope, and dignity to families long silenced by disability.
The children, born with profound hearing loss, received state-of-the-art electronic implants funded by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The procedures, carried out by specialists in the Kenyan capital, represent a breakthrough for families who had long abandoned hope.
“This is about restoring dignity, identity, and possibility,” said Somalia’s Ambassador to Kenya, Jabril Ibrahim Abdulle, who attended the launch of the treatment program.
The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center sponsored the surgeries, which provided the devices—among the most advanced and costly models available globally.
Somalia’s embassy in Kenya facilitated the process, coordinating with Saudi officials, surgeons, and the children’s families. Many of the parents had previously been told there was no viable treatment available in Somalia due to the lack of specialist care.
“These children were trapped in silence,” Ambassador Jabril said. “This operation reopens doors that once seemed permanently shut.”
He also credited Dr. Aqueel bin Jam’aab Al-Ghamdi, Assistant Supervisor General for Planning and Development at the King Salman Center, and Saudi Ambassador to Kenya Khalid A. AlSalman for their roles in delivering the support at a critical moment.
In Somalia, children with disabilities often face stigma, exclusion from school, and a lack of healthcare infrastructure. Few can afford to travel abroad or the cost of high-end medical procedures.
This initiative, while small in scope, has broader implications. It signals a shift in the humanitarian focus of Gulf countries from emergency relief toward long-term, targeted interventions—especially in health and education.
The children, once confined to a world of silence, now begin a new chapter—hearing the voices of their loved ones and the rhythms of daily life for the first time.
