We are excited to announce the two newest FIENS Clack Family Scholars, Ridwaan Ibraahim Faarah and Joshua David Kavulu. As 2025 Clack Family awardees, they will receive funds to continue their neurosurgical education in their home countries.
Dr. Ridwaan Ibraahim Faarah is from the Federal Republic of Somalia and is currently completing his neurosurgical training at Kenyatta National Hospital in Kenya. Dr. Christopher Musau is his residency program director. With just one year remaining in his training, Dr. Faarah is nearing the final stretch of his journey to becoming a fully qualified neurosurgeon.
Somalia faces significant challenges in healthcare access and infrastructure; with limited access to specialized care and a severe shortage of trained neurosurgeons, the burden of untreated neurological conditions is profound. Increasing capacity in neurosurgery is critical to improving survival and recovery outcomes for patients facing trauma and other neurosurgical conditions.
Dr. Faarah has shown remarkable resilience and dedication throughout his training. Balancing clinical responsibilities and academic demands with financial pressures has made his path both demanding and inspiring. This scholarship will contribute to alleviating his financial burden and allow him to focus on becoming a highly skilled neurosurgeon, ready to return home and contribute meaningfully to improving neurosurgical access in under-resourced communities like his hometown of Hargeisa.
Dr. Joshua David Kavulu is from Uganda and is currently in his third year of neurosurgical training at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. Professor Graham Fieggen is his residency program director. As part of his training, he works at both Groote Schuur Hospital and the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital while he is training.
The neurosurgical burden in Uganda remains greatly demanding; this has been precipitated by the small number of neurosurgeons (currently about 25 neurosurgeons for a population of 50 million people) and as well the overwhelming number of neurosurgical pathologies requiring pinpoint neurosurgical facilities and resources.
In addition to his demanding training, Dr. Kavulu works long hours to support himself. Through this scholarship, FIENS hopes to alleviate some of this burden by supporting tuition fees, college exams, and part of his monthly expenses, which will enable him to complete his training and return to Uganda to help address the country’s critical shortage of neurosurgical services.
“The honorable privilege of saving lives especially in the most complex ordeals is such a journey to fathom. A journey of passion, patience, faith and resilience to become an answer to global problems.“
We look forward to sharing updates on the progress of these ambitious neurosurgeons who will save and improve the lives of many in Uganda and the Federal Republic of Somalia and inspire other practitioners to pursue neurosurgical education pathways.
