full transcript

From the Ted Talk by Hawa Abdi + Deqo Mohamed: Mother and daughter doctor-heroes

Unscramble the Blue Letters

Hawa Abdi: Many pleope — 20 years for Somalia — [were] fthgniig. So there was no job, no food. Children, most of them, became very malnourished, like this. Deqo Mohamed: So as you know, always in a civil war, the ones atceffed most [are] the women and children. So our patients are women and children. And they are in our backyard. It's our home. We welcome them. That's the camp that we have in now 90,000 people, where 75 pceernt of them are women and creidlhn. Pat Mitchell: And this is your hospital. This is the inside. HA: We are doing C-sections and different operations because people need some help. There is no government to protect them. DM: Every mnronig we have about 400 patients, maybe more or less. But sometimes we are only five doctors and 16 nruess, and we are physically getting exhausted to see all of them. But we take the severe ones, and we rechsedule the other ones the next day. It is very tough. And as you can see, it's the women who are carrying the children; it's the woemn who come into the hospitals; it's the women [are] building the houses. That's their house. And we have a school. This is our bgrhit — we opened [in the] last two years [an] elementary scoohl where we have 850 children, and the majority are women and glirs. (aspluape) PM: And the doctors have some very big rules about who can get treated at the clinic. Would you explain the rules for admission? HA: The people who are coming to us, we are wlncmoeig. We are sharing with them whatever we have. But there are only two rules. First rule: there is no clan dhigsisunteid and political division in salmoi society. [Whomever] makes those things we throw out. The second: no man can beat his wife. If he beat, we will put [him] in jail, and we will call the eldest people. Until they identify this case, we'll never release him. That's our two rules. (Applause) The other thing that I have realized, that the woman is the most stonrg person all over the world. Because the last 20 years, the Somali woman has stood up. They were the laeders, and we are the leaders of our community and the hope of our ftuure generations. We are not just the helpless and the victims of the civil war. We can reconcile. We can do everything. (Applause) DM: As my mother said, we are the future hope, and the men are only killing in Somalia. So we came up with these two rules. In a camp with 90,000 people, you have to come up with some rules or there is going to be some fights. So there is no clan division, and no man can beat his wife. And we have a little storage room where we converted a jail. So if you beat your wife, you're going to be there. (Applause) So ereoimwnpg the women and givnig the opportunity — we are there for them. They are not alone for this. PM: You're running a medical clinic. It brought much, much neeedd medical care to people who wouldn't get it. You're also running a civil society. You've created your own rules, in which women and children are getting a different snese of siutrecy. Talk to me about your decision, Dr. Abdi, and your decision, Dr. Mohamed, to work together — for you to become a dootcr and to work with your mother in these circumstances. HA: My age — because I was born in 1947 — we were having, at that time, government, law and oerdr. But one day, I went to the hospital — my mother was sick — and I saw the hioptasl, how they [were] tiatrneg the doctors, how they [are] ctieommtd to help the sick people. I admired them, and I decided to become a doctor. My mother died, unfortunately, when I was 12 years [old]. Then my father allowed me to pecroed [with] my hope. My mother died in [a] gynecology complication, so I decided to become a gynecology specialist. That's why I became a doctor. So Dr. Deqo has to explain. DM: For me, my mother was pnrairpeg [me] when I was a child to become a doctor, but I really didn't want to. Maybe I should become an historian, or maybe a reporter. I loved it, but it didn't work. When the war brkoe out — civil war — I saw how my mother was helping and how she really needed the help, and how the care is essential to the woman to be a woman doctor in smaloia and help the women and children. And I thought, maybe I can be a reporter and doctor gynecologist. (Laughter) So I went to Russia, and my mother also, [during the] time of [the] Soviet Union. So some of our character, maybe we will come with a strong Soviet background of training. So that's how I dedceid [to do] the same. My sister was different. She's here. She's also a doctor. She graduated in Russia also. (Applause) And to go back and to work with our mother is just what we saw in the civil war — when I was 16, and my ssietr was 11, when the ciivl war broke out. So it was the need and the people we saw in the early '90s — that's what made us go back and work for them. PM: So what is the biggest challenge working, mtoehr and duheatgr, in such dangerous and sometimes scary situations? HA: Yes, I was wnkroig in a tough situation, very dangerous. And when I saw the people who needed me, I was staying with them to help, because I [could] do something for them. Most people fled abroad. But I remained with those people, and I was trying to do something — [any] little thing I [could] do. I scceueded in my pclae. Now my place is 90,000 people who are respecting each other, who are not fighting. But we try to stand on our feet, to do something, little things, we can for our people. And I'm thankful for my daughters. When they come to me, they help me to treat the people, to help. They do everything for them. They have done what I desire to do for them. PM: What's the best part of working with your mother, and the most challenging part for you? DM: She's very tough; it's most challenging. She always expects us to do more. And really when you think [you] cannot do it, she will push you, and I can do it. That's the best part. She shows us, tanirs us how to do and how to be better [people] and how to do long hours in surgery — 300 patients per day, 10, 20 seigeurrs, and still you have to maagne the camp — that's how she trains us. It is not like beautiful offices here, 20 patients, you're tired. You see 300 patients, 20 surgeries and 90,000 people to manage. PM: But you do it for good reasons. (Applause) Wait. Wait. HA: Thank you. DM: Thank you. (Applause) HA: Thank you very much. DM: Thank you very much.

Open Cloze

Hawa Abdi: Many ______ — 20 years for Somalia — [were] ________. So there was no job, no food. Children, most of them, became very malnourished, like this. Deqo Mohamed: So as you know, always in a civil war, the ones ________ most [are] the women and children. So our patients are women and children. And they are in our backyard. It's our home. We welcome them. That's the camp that we have in now 90,000 people, where 75 _______ of them are women and ________. Pat Mitchell: And this is your hospital. This is the inside. HA: We are doing C-sections and different operations because people need some help. There is no government to protect them. DM: Every _______ we have about 400 patients, maybe more or less. But sometimes we are only five doctors and 16 ______, and we are physically getting exhausted to see all of them. But we take the severe ones, and we __________ the other ones the next day. It is very tough. And as you can see, it's the women who are carrying the children; it's the _____ who come into the hospitals; it's the women [are] building the houses. That's their house. And we have a school. This is our ______ — we opened [in the] last two years [an] elementary ______ where we have 850 children, and the majority are women and _____. (________) PM: And the doctors have some very big rules about who can get treated at the clinic. Would you explain the rules for admission? HA: The people who are coming to us, we are _________. We are sharing with them whatever we have. But there are only two rules. First rule: there is no clan _____________ and political division in ______ society. [Whomever] makes those things we throw out. The second: no man can beat his wife. If he beat, we will put [him] in jail, and we will call the eldest people. Until they identify this case, we'll never release him. That's our two rules. (Applause) The other thing that I have realized, that the woman is the most ______ person all over the world. Because the last 20 years, the Somali woman has stood up. They were the _______, and we are the leaders of our community and the hope of our ______ generations. We are not just the helpless and the victims of the civil war. We can reconcile. We can do everything. (Applause) DM: As my mother said, we are the future hope, and the men are only killing in Somalia. So we came up with these two rules. In a camp with 90,000 people, you have to come up with some rules or there is going to be some fights. So there is no clan division, and no man can beat his wife. And we have a little storage room where we converted a jail. So if you beat your wife, you're going to be there. (Applause) So __________ the women and ______ the opportunity — we are there for them. They are not alone for this. PM: You're running a medical clinic. It brought much, much ______ medical care to people who wouldn't get it. You're also running a civil society. You've created your own rules, in which women and children are getting a different _____ of ________. Talk to me about your decision, Dr. Abdi, and your decision, Dr. Mohamed, to work together — for you to become a ______ and to work with your mother in these circumstances. HA: My age — because I was born in 1947 — we were having, at that time, government, law and _____. But one day, I went to the hospital — my mother was sick — and I saw the ________, how they [were] ________ the doctors, how they [are] _________ to help the sick people. I admired them, and I decided to become a doctor. My mother died, unfortunately, when I was 12 years [old]. Then my father allowed me to _______ [with] my hope. My mother died in [a] gynecology complication, so I decided to become a gynecology specialist. That's why I became a doctor. So Dr. Deqo has to explain. DM: For me, my mother was _________ [me] when I was a child to become a doctor, but I really didn't want to. Maybe I should become an historian, or maybe a reporter. I loved it, but it didn't work. When the war _____ out — civil war — I saw how my mother was helping and how she really needed the help, and how the care is essential to the woman to be a woman doctor in _______ and help the women and children. And I thought, maybe I can be a reporter and doctor gynecologist. (Laughter) So I went to Russia, and my mother also, [during the] time of [the] Soviet Union. So some of our character, maybe we will come with a strong Soviet background of training. So that's how I _______ [to do] the same. My sister was different. She's here. She's also a doctor. She graduated in Russia also. (Applause) And to go back and to work with our mother is just what we saw in the civil war — when I was 16, and my ______ was 11, when the _____ war broke out. So it was the need and the people we saw in the early '90s — that's what made us go back and work for them. PM: So what is the biggest challenge working, ______ and ________, in such dangerous and sometimes scary situations? HA: Yes, I was _______ in a tough situation, very dangerous. And when I saw the people who needed me, I was staying with them to help, because I [could] do something for them. Most people fled abroad. But I remained with those people, and I was trying to do something — [any] little thing I [could] do. I _________ in my _____. Now my place is 90,000 people who are respecting each other, who are not fighting. But we try to stand on our feet, to do something, little things, we can for our people. And I'm thankful for my daughters. When they come to me, they help me to treat the people, to help. They do everything for them. They have done what I desire to do for them. PM: What's the best part of working with your mother, and the most challenging part for you? DM: She's very tough; it's most challenging. She always expects us to do more. And really when you think [you] cannot do it, she will push you, and I can do it. That's the best part. She shows us, ______ us how to do and how to be better [people] and how to do long hours in surgery — 300 patients per day, 10, 20 _________, and still you have to ______ the camp — that's how she trains us. It is not like beautiful offices here, 20 patients, you're tired. You see 300 patients, 20 surgeries and 90,000 people to manage. PM: But you do it for good reasons. (Applause) Wait. Wait. HA: Thank you. DM: Thank you. (Applause) HA: Thank you very much. DM: Thank you very much.

Solution

  1. succeeded
  2. empowering
  3. giving
  4. decided
  5. people
  6. civil
  7. percent
  8. applause
  9. needed
  10. surgeries
  11. strong
  12. preparing
  13. mother
  14. reschedule
  15. daughter
  16. school
  17. leaders
  18. place
  19. doctor
  20. morning
  21. fighting
  22. nurses
  23. manage
  24. sense
  25. somalia
  26. trains
  27. distinguished
  28. proceed
  29. future
  30. sister
  31. committed
  32. treating
  33. somali
  34. women
  35. order
  36. hospital
  37. welcoming
  38. working
  39. broke
  40. children
  41. security
  42. affected
  43. bright
  44. girls

Original Text

Hawa Abdi: Many people — 20 years for Somalia — [were] fighting. So there was no job, no food. Children, most of them, became very malnourished, like this. Deqo Mohamed: So as you know, always in a civil war, the ones affected most [are] the women and children. So our patients are women and children. And they are in our backyard. It's our home. We welcome them. That's the camp that we have in now 90,000 people, where 75 percent of them are women and children. Pat Mitchell: And this is your hospital. This is the inside. HA: We are doing C-sections and different operations because people need some help. There is no government to protect them. DM: Every morning we have about 400 patients, maybe more or less. But sometimes we are only five doctors and 16 nurses, and we are physically getting exhausted to see all of them. But we take the severe ones, and we reschedule the other ones the next day. It is very tough. And as you can see, it's the women who are carrying the children; it's the women who come into the hospitals; it's the women [are] building the houses. That's their house. And we have a school. This is our bright — we opened [in the] last two years [an] elementary school where we have 850 children, and the majority are women and girls. (Applause) PM: And the doctors have some very big rules about who can get treated at the clinic. Would you explain the rules for admission? HA: The people who are coming to us, we are welcoming. We are sharing with them whatever we have. But there are only two rules. First rule: there is no clan distinguished and political division in Somali society. [Whomever] makes those things we throw out. The second: no man can beat his wife. If he beat, we will put [him] in jail, and we will call the eldest people. Until they identify this case, we'll never release him. That's our two rules. (Applause) The other thing that I have realized, that the woman is the most strong person all over the world. Because the last 20 years, the Somali woman has stood up. They were the leaders, and we are the leaders of our community and the hope of our future generations. We are not just the helpless and the victims of the civil war. We can reconcile. We can do everything. (Applause) DM: As my mother said, we are the future hope, and the men are only killing in Somalia. So we came up with these two rules. In a camp with 90,000 people, you have to come up with some rules or there is going to be some fights. So there is no clan division, and no man can beat his wife. And we have a little storage room where we converted a jail. So if you beat your wife, you're going to be there. (Applause) So empowering the women and giving the opportunity — we are there for them. They are not alone for this. PM: You're running a medical clinic. It brought much, much needed medical care to people who wouldn't get it. You're also running a civil society. You've created your own rules, in which women and children are getting a different sense of security. Talk to me about your decision, Dr. Abdi, and your decision, Dr. Mohamed, to work together — for you to become a doctor and to work with your mother in these circumstances. HA: My age — because I was born in 1947 — we were having, at that time, government, law and order. But one day, I went to the hospital — my mother was sick — and I saw the hospital, how they [were] treating the doctors, how they [are] committed to help the sick people. I admired them, and I decided to become a doctor. My mother died, unfortunately, when I was 12 years [old]. Then my father allowed me to proceed [with] my hope. My mother died in [a] gynecology complication, so I decided to become a gynecology specialist. That's why I became a doctor. So Dr. Deqo has to explain. DM: For me, my mother was preparing [me] when I was a child to become a doctor, but I really didn't want to. Maybe I should become an historian, or maybe a reporter. I loved it, but it didn't work. When the war broke out — civil war — I saw how my mother was helping and how she really needed the help, and how the care is essential to the woman to be a woman doctor in Somalia and help the women and children. And I thought, maybe I can be a reporter and doctor gynecologist. (Laughter) So I went to Russia, and my mother also, [during the] time of [the] Soviet Union. So some of our character, maybe we will come with a strong Soviet background of training. So that's how I decided [to do] the same. My sister was different. She's here. She's also a doctor. She graduated in Russia also. (Applause) And to go back and to work with our mother is just what we saw in the civil war — when I was 16, and my sister was 11, when the civil war broke out. So it was the need and the people we saw in the early '90s — that's what made us go back and work for them. PM: So what is the biggest challenge working, mother and daughter, in such dangerous and sometimes scary situations? HA: Yes, I was working in a tough situation, very dangerous. And when I saw the people who needed me, I was staying with them to help, because I [could] do something for them. Most people fled abroad. But I remained with those people, and I was trying to do something — [any] little thing I [could] do. I succeeded in my place. Now my place is 90,000 people who are respecting each other, who are not fighting. But we try to stand on our feet, to do something, little things, we can for our people. And I'm thankful for my daughters. When they come to me, they help me to treat the people, to help. They do everything for them. They have done what I desire to do for them. PM: What's the best part of working with your mother, and the most challenging part for you? DM: She's very tough; it's most challenging. She always expects us to do more. And really when you think [you] cannot do it, she will push you, and I can do it. That's the best part. She shows us, trains us how to do and how to be better [people] and how to do long hours in surgery — 300 patients per day, 10, 20 surgeries, and still you have to manage the camp — that's how she trains us. It is not like beautiful offices here, 20 patients, you're tired. You see 300 patients, 20 surgeries and 90,000 people to manage. PM: But you do it for good reasons. (Applause) Wait. Wait. HA: Thank you. DM: Thank you. (Applause) HA: Thank you very much. DM: Thank you very much.

Frequently Occurring Word Combinations

ngrams of length 2

collocation frequency
civil war 4
war broke 2

Important Words

  1. abdi
  2. admired
  3. admission
  4. affected
  5. age
  6. allowed
  7. applause
  8. background
  9. backyard
  10. beat
  11. beautiful
  12. big
  13. biggest
  14. born
  15. bright
  16. broke
  17. brought
  18. building
  19. call
  20. camp
  21. care
  22. carrying
  23. case
  24. challenge
  25. challenging
  26. character
  27. child
  28. children
  29. circumstances
  30. civil
  31. clan
  32. clinic
  33. coming
  34. committed
  35. community
  36. complication
  37. converted
  38. created
  39. dangerous
  40. daughter
  41. daughters
  42. day
  43. decided
  44. decision
  45. deqo
  46. desire
  47. died
  48. distinguished
  49. division
  50. doctor
  51. doctors
  52. dr
  53. early
  54. eldest
  55. elementary
  56. empowering
  57. essential
  58. exhausted
  59. expects
  60. explain
  61. father
  62. feet
  63. fighting
  64. fights
  65. fled
  66. food
  67. future
  68. generations
  69. girls
  70. giving
  71. good
  72. government
  73. graduated
  74. gynecologist
  75. gynecology
  76. hawa
  77. helping
  78. helpless
  79. historian
  80. home
  81. hope
  82. hospital
  83. hours
  84. house
  85. houses
  86. identify
  87. jail
  88. job
  89. killing
  90. laughter
  91. law
  92. leaders
  93. long
  94. loved
  95. majority
  96. malnourished
  97. man
  98. manage
  99. medical
  100. men
  101. mohamed
  102. morning
  103. mother
  104. needed
  105. nurses
  106. offices
  107. opened
  108. operations
  109. opportunity
  110. order
  111. part
  112. pat
  113. patients
  114. people
  115. percent
  116. person
  117. physically
  118. place
  119. political
  120. preparing
  121. proceed
  122. protect
  123. push
  124. put
  125. realized
  126. reasons
  127. reconcile
  128. release
  129. remained
  130. reporter
  131. reschedule
  132. respecting
  133. room
  134. rules
  135. running
  136. russia
  137. scary
  138. school
  139. security
  140. sense
  141. severe
  142. sharing
  143. shows
  144. sick
  145. sister
  146. situation
  147. situations
  148. society
  149. somali
  150. somalia
  151. soviet
  152. specialist
  153. stand
  154. staying
  155. stood
  156. storage
  157. strong
  158. succeeded
  159. surgeries
  160. surgery
  161. talk
  162. thankful
  163. thought
  164. throw
  165. time
  166. tired
  167. tough
  168. training
  169. trains
  170. treat
  171. treated
  172. treating
  173. union
  174. victims
  175. wait
  176. war
  177. welcoming
  178. wife
  179. woman
  180. women
  181. work
  182. working
  183. world
  184. years