Inspiration behind The GTLTG Foundation
Khadija Abdi Langadhe
“Everything in life can be taken away from you: material possession, wealth or even your home. Education and knowledge provide freedom, opportunities and security. This is as valuable as gold”
Let us give you a back story of the inspiration behind the Give to Learn to Grow Foundation!
Khadija Abdi Langadhe was born in the bustling city of Aden, Yemen, during a fruitful and rainy season of the late 1940’s. Born to Somali parents and keeping with local customs, she married at the age of 14 and immigrated to Somalia with her four young children and her husband, in 1972. This was a challenging transition to relocate to both a new culture and language for her and her children.
In addition, she had to adjust to difficult and extreme conditions in Somalia, including a devastating drought and the smallpox epidemic. Despite these conditions and hardships of building a new life in Somalia, Khadija believed she needed to find a way to educate her children. Khadija was determined to see her family successful, and to make sure that her children were enrolled in full time school.
Khadija in Toronto, Canada
In order to help her kids to get an education, Khadija knew she needed to develop a skill to supplement her family’s income. She had few options to work in 1970’s in Somalia, being a women and a mother to small children, but she prevailed with determination.
She attended trade school and learned how to become a tailor. In doing this, she was able to create a business making garments, and used the income to support the community and her children’s’ education. She opened a store with her earnings to import food to the Las Anod community to provide direly needed resources during times of economic hardship. Khadija felt responsible to serve as many people as possible and her skills allowed her to do this.
“While it is your duty to always better yourself, it is just as important to help better the lives of the people around you and that of your community”
From 1972-1981, Khadija moved to 7 different regions. During these relocations, she continued to prioritize her children’s’ education. Her family had expanded to 11 children, and she could send them to school and provide at home instructions.
In 1981, Khadija lived in Mogadishu where it was a prosperous time. However the unexpected happened, and her husband defected from Somalia, due to the political climate at the time.This left her family of 11 without residence, financials, or material possessions, and all was taken away. This left her at the mercy of her community and family.
Ultimately, this terrifying time led to her decision to one day reciprocate the generosity shown to her. Because of this, she committed to give back to the Somali community.
Khadija was determined to join her husband in Egypt with her 11 children. For three years, and with the help of family and community, she could safely get the children out of Somalia. The family was then given political asylum to Canada. In 1984, Khadija moved to Alberta, Canada, with her husband and children. Unable to speak the language, unfamiliar with the extreme cold weather, and with no family support to rely on, Khadija leaned heavily on her inherent values and her deep connection to Allah. At that time, the importance of educating her children was her priority. She was determined to help her children attend school by any means necessary, even if it meant walking them to school in -30 degree temperatures.
In her late 40s, Khadija set out to once again provide opportunities and education for her children. She began by attending school in Canada to learn English. This would help her to read to her now 12 children and to help them with their education. She became very involved and could attend all parent-teacher conferences. Even though she struggled with language barriers, she was incredibly involved, as she believed education would provide her children with freedom and opportunities. This is because in many ways, Khadija’s new education combined with prior life experiences became the source of her freedom and independence in her new country. This also led to her commitment to always provide educational opportunities for girls as well as boys. Through education, she saw a life of possibilities for both boys and girls. She further believed that to have economic freedom, girls must be educated and given skill sets so that they would help the families to thrive.
“Serving others inherently enriches your own life.”
Khadija’s greatest motivation was to see her 12 children thriving, educated, and mission driven. A mother four boys and eight girls, and through them, she passed on the legacy of hard work, and resilience. She often tells her 12 children, 24 grandchildren and great granddaughter that ‘while it is your duty to always better yourself, it is just as important to help better the lives of the people around you and that of your community. She would remind them, serving others inherently enriches your own life. One of Khadija’s daughters, the late Hodan Nalayeh, was killed fulfilling this legacy in Somalia. Her daughter Hodan had attributed her faith, perseverance and mission to serve, as instilled by her mother, Khadija.
Throughout Khadija’s life and decision making, she was guided by the concept that there is no light without knowledge. Her personal seeking of education, and the paths she created for her children, opened opportunities that would otherwise be unavailable. Never forgetting the struggles of living through hardship, and driven by faith, Khadija went back to her home land. Khadija had a strong spiritual devotion to Allah, and from this, she derived a selfless and giving nature. After more than 35 years in 2019, she began building schools, water wells and providing medical aid to the community. Ultimately this trip paved the way to a better future for thousands of children in her ancestral land, through education and workshops.
Give to Learn to Grow Foundation has bestowed the honour of naming its third school after Khadija Abdi Langadhe. Throughout her life, Khadija demonstrated the paramount importance of possibilities through education, inspiring her children and her communities.