My mother’s story is of a young person who, quite early in her life, determined that she wanted to do something to make a better world. Not everyone carries…
Amal Elsana Alhâjooj: From Shepherd to Doctor
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Amal Elsana Alhâjooj grew up in a Bedouin village in the Negev. In the traditional Bedouin community, boys are favored over girls so according to her parents – as Amal reminisces – the arrival of a baby girl amounted to a near tragedy. Her mother and father were hoping that after four daughters, Amal would bring honor to the family by being born a boy. After this âfailure,â her mother expected her husband to leave her, but instead he called the baby âAmal,â which is Arabic for âhope.â He did this in the hope that one day things would be different and that his wife would eventually give birth to a boy. His wife obliged. After Amal was born, her mother went on to have five boys.