Emery Habumugisha, Registered Midwife

In every mission, there are people who quietly become the backbone of the work. Not for recognition. Not for status. Simply because they believe no woman should suffer in silence when care, compassion, and dignity can still be offered.

Emery has become one of those people for the International Organization for Women & Development (IOWD).  As a Rwandan nurse leader and volunteer, he has consistently demonstrated the very principles the DAISY Award was created to recognize: extraordinary compassion, unwavering dedication, clinical professionalism, humility, advocacy, and profound human connection.

Throughout every surgical mission, Emery has stood beside both patients and volunteers with quiet strength and consistency. He does not seek attention for his work. In fact, when thanked for the countless hours he gives, the long days he commits to, and the emotional burden he helps carry for women living with devastating fistula injuries, his response is almost always the same: “It’s the least I can do.” Yet what he does is far from little.

He helps women who have often lived for years in pain, shame, isolation, and abandonment feel seen again. He advocates for dignity in moments where many patients have lost hope. He bridges cultures, strengthens trust between local teams and international volunteers, and ensures every woman entering our program is treated not simply as a patient, but as a human being worthy of compassion, respect, and care.