Hawa Aden Mohamed, nicknamed Hooyo Hawa (Mother Hawa) was born in 1949 in Somalia. During the civil war, she moved to Canada but returned to Somalia in 1995. Upon her return, she developed an educational program working to help women and girls who were displaced during the conflict, while also advocating against female genital mutilation. In 1999, she founded the Galkayo Education Center for Peace and Development. The center provides formal primary education for young girls and second chance at education for older girls, serving a total of 781 young women. Overtime, Hawa’s organizations have evolved to become a hub for women organizations, female teachers, businesswomen, and resources across the province of Puntland.