About Us

Mission Statement

The mission of  H.E.R.D.S. is to uplift and advance the healthcare and education access, services of the underserved communities, especially, those of Horn of Africa, to a level of good access and good service.

Vision Statement

H.E.R.D.S. has committed itself to inspire and help establish first-rate, accessible health and education for the marginalized populations of the Horn of Africa in the near future.

Values Statement

Integrity and Accountability

Integrity, honesty, and accountability are the guiding principles of H.E.R.D.S., ensuring trust and transparency in all our actions.

Community Well-being

We prioritize the health and education of the community, striving to improve their quality of life through dedicated efforts.

Empowerment and Inclusivity

Our aim is to empower our team and the communities we serve, fostering inclusivity and active participation in our mission.

Excellence in Service

The pursuit of excellence drives us to perform our duties and responsibilities to the highest standard.

Respect for All

We are committed to treating our team, the community, and everyone we engage with respect and dignity.

Sustainability and Self-reliance

Our ultimate goal is to help communities achieve sustainability and self-reliance, ensuring long-term success and independence.

Board of Directors of H.E.R.D.S

Abdul Aziz Yusuf

President

Abdul Aziz was born in Ethiopia. He studied medicine in the then West Germany. Abdul Aziz is a former physician who worked in some district and regional hospitals in the Horn of Africa as a general practitioner.

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Naima Ismail

Secretary

Dr. Naima Ismail is currently undergoing her medical residency for radiology at the
University of Minnesota. She completed her medical degree at Ohio University. 

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AbdiGhani Ismail

Member

AbdiGhani Ismail is a Fellow Physician. He completed internal medicine residency and now doing a fellowship in Small Bowel Disease and Clinical Nutrition. 

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Husein Yussuf

Treasure

Husein Yussuf serves as the Treasurer of H.E.R.D.S, bringing expertise in financial oversight, strategic planning, and nonprofit management. 

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Hotho Yusuf

Vice President

Hotho is a dedicated public health professional with a background in local government and a strong focus on data-driven policy solutions. She has a Master’s from Yale and works a senior Epidemiologist at a city.  

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The mission of  H.E.R.D.S. is to uplift and advance the healthcare and education access, services of the underserved communities, especially of those of Horn of Africa, to a level of good access and good service. 

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Abdul Aziz Yusuf

President

Abdul Aziz was born in Ethiopia. He studied medicine in the then West Germany. Abdul Aziz is a former physician who worked in some district and regional hospitals in the Horn of Africa as a general practitioner.

His involvement in charity initiatives dates back to his student years. In 1980, he was part of seven students who organized fundraising activities in several German cities to launch a self-help program for refugees in Somalia. This mission was to assist war refugees from the Somali region of Ethiopia that fled to Somalia at the end of the 1977 war.

 

Abdul Aziz built and started a women’s center on behalf of the project members in Qoryole, South Somalia, in 1984. It was an income-generating project for women. They produced sandals and different clothing items for sale. The project continued until the breakdown of the Somali Civil war in 1991.

Again, in the early 90s, Abdul Aziz built and started health and nutrition centers in Mandera and El-Waq in Kenya. It served refugees from Somalia that fled the Somali civil war. A charity funded and managed those projects, and he was the head of the health and nutrition program.

In the mid-90s, he immigrated to the U.S, where he is now retired. 

Naima Ismail

Secretary

Dr. Naima Ismail is currently undergoing her medical residency for radiology at the University of Minnesota. She completed her medical degree at Ohio University. In medical school, she worked with her classmates to help develop a STEM focused after school program. Utilizing the tools she learned from this imitative, she hopes to engage in global health by developing Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) utilization, to help bridge the gaps of access to medical imaging in under-resourced communities. The the community of Yuub does not have any radiological services in its health center. Community members must often travel 6+ hours to access a health facility with imaging resources. By being involved in H.E.R.D.S, Dr. Ismail hopes to work with the other H.E.R.D.S members to help empower and uplift this community in need.

AbdiGhani Ismail

Member

AbdiGhani Ismail is a Fellow Physician in the University of Chicago. He completed internal medicine residency and now doing a fellowship in Small Bowel Disease and Clinical Nutrition. . He is interested in advancing global health equity through impactful initiatives and has a commitment to addressing healthcare disparities in underserved communities. Passionate about sustainable solutions, Dr. Ismail  has worked on a number of health equity projects throughout medical school and residency and is excited to work with the group to improve access to quality care and empower the local system to foster long-term change

Husein Yussuf

Treasure

Husein Yussuf serves as the Treasurer of H.E.R.D.S, bringing expertise in financial oversight, strategic planning, and nonprofit management. With a Master of Public Administration from Hamline University and a B.S. in Business from the University of Minnesota, he has managed budgets and led community initiatives. His leadership ensures H.E.R.D.S remains financially sustainable while expanding its impact on healthcare  and education infrastructure in Ethiopia.

Hotho Yusuf

Vice President

Hotho is a dedicated public health professional with a background in local government and a strong focus on data-driven policy solutions.  Hotho obtained a Master of Public Health (MPH) in Health Policy & Management at the Yale School of Public Health, she combines academic expertise with hands-on experience to address public health challenges and improve community outcomes and now works as senior Epidemiologist at a city.  

With experience in public health policy, data analysis, and project management, Hotho is passionate about leveraging data visualization and statistical insights to inform healthcare policies and drive impactful change. She has worked extensively in local government, focusing on improving health equity and access to care for underserved populations.

Her interests are in regulatory affairs, health economics, and using data to identify innovative strategies that bridge healthcare gaps. Through her work, she aims to create meaningful change by combining evidence-based approaches with thoughtful policy design.