Susan Harris
OzDAFNE Project Officer
In the early 2000s, it was clear that Australia was crying out for a self-management program for type 1 diabetes…. Education was hit-and-miss and people were struggling. In 2004, teams of health professionals from 4 sites in Australia went across to the UK for training and brought the program back – with the first OzDAFNE programs running in Australia in early 2005.
As the OzDAFNE Project Officer, I get to see all the evaluation forms from OzDAFNE across the country and I love it!!! I will never get tired of hearing someone say that this program saved their life! We also commonly hear how people now have the freedom to live their lives the way they want to live it – no longer feeling controlled by their diabetes. Our participants also love the fact that they get to meet and share experiences with others living with type 1 diabetes. People also often head into the program wondering why it’s so long – but leave wishing it was longer!
I have loved watching the program grow and change to accommodate advances in technology, become more accessible to people with improvements to literacy and numeracy content and the way the program is presented, and to better fit the way that people want to access the program with the introduction of all the different formats.
This program also has a massive impact on educators too. They learn many amazing facilitation skills and techniques. And perhaps most importantly, they walk away from every single group with a deeper understanding of the lived experience of people with type 1 diabetes”
Michelle Cox
Diabetes Nurse Educator
I came to OzDAFNE after it had been established here. But I was aware there was no evidence-based, structured group education program available at the time. I recognised the need for this type of program and I was excited to become a part of the OzDAFNE team. I first heard about DAFNE as student when I was undertaking my post-graduate in diabetes education.
The most powerful and most common feedback is that OzDAFNE changed or even saved their life.
Being an OzDAFNE facilitator has developed my expertise in type 1 diabetes. But beyond this, I have grown as a facilitator and educator. I mostly enjoy supporting people with type 1 diabetes to understand and confidently manage their condition. Additionally, I love seeing the support participants provide for one another.
This is one of the most powerful things you can do to enable you to support people living with type 1 diabetes.
Dr. Dabia Al-Mohanadi
MD, FRCPC, Sr. Consultant, Endocrinology
Bringing DAFNE to Qatar through Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) – Qatar’s public provider of specialized secondary and tertiary healthcare – and its Qatar Metabolic Institute (QMI), where all adult and adolescent patients with Type 1 diabetes are cared for, and achieving accreditation of two of our facilities, Hamad General Hospital and Al Wakra Hospital, as official DAFNE Centers, while adapting the program locally, was a vital step in strengthening our Type 1 diabetes services. While we already have advanced care pathways, national clinical guidelines for managing Type 1 diabetes and well-established insulin pump program, we recognized the need for structured education that empowers patients in daily self-management. By aligning DAFNE with Qatar’s National Health Strategy (2024–2030) and its Action Plan on Obesity, Diabetes and Modifiable Risk Factors for ASCVD, we ensured the program integrates seamlessly into our healthcare system while reflecting the cultural context and needs of our population.
For us at DAFNE Qatar, being part of this journey is a privilege and an inspiration. Adapting the program for our country has given us the chance to transform lives, ensuring that people with Type 1 diabetes receive world-class education and support in a way that speaks to their reality, their culture and their hopes for the future.
Sami AlSultan
DAFNE Kuwait Graduate
“The DAFNE program has been life-changing for me. Before, managing my type 1 diabetes felt rigid and restrictive. Now, I have the flexibility to adjust my insulin doses based on my activity levels, which has made a huge difference in my daily life. I can be active without worrying about hypos, and I feel more in control of my diabetes than ever before. My HbA1c has improved, my energy levels are up, and I just feel better overall. Thank you, DAFNE!
A special thanks to the DAFNE team in Kuwait, the Dasman Diabetes Institute, and Al-Amiri Hospital for their invaluable support.”
Hamad AlHusaini
DAFNE Kuwait Graduate
“I have lived with type 1 diabetes since the age of two, and for many years I believed I knew everything there was to know about managing it. However, taking part in the DAFNE program has been a truly eye-opening experience.
Through this program, I gained a much deeper understanding of my condition and the confidence to manage it more effectively in everyday life. I now feel freer in the way I eat, because I have the knowledge and tools to make informed choices while keeping my blood glucose in control.
DAFNE has not only enhanced my practical skills, but also shifted my mindset. It showed me that managing diabetes is not about restriction—it’s about flexibility, balance, and empowerment. I am grateful for the opportunity to be part of this program, and I would highly recommend it to anyone living with type 1 diabetes.”
Falah AlMutairi
DAFNE Kuwait Graduate
“The first day of my diagnosis, January 9, 2010, was one of the worst days of my life. I was lying in bed surrounded by doctors explaining to me and my parents the seriousness of diabetes if neglected. I left the hospital heading home, but I felt like a completely different person; confined, afraid, and anxious.
In 2025, I realized I needed changing my life. Encouraged by friends and family, I joined the DAFNE Kuwait program. On June 2025, I attended the program for a full week. The focus was always on living with diabetes, not being deprived. Nothing was forbidden—I just had to take the right insulin dose for what I ate.
The most beautiful part of DAFNE was that it wasn’t just a course, it was a community. The educators and specialists were like a second family. They were always there with positivity, guidance, and genuine care.
Today, after fifteen years with type 1 diabetes, I can proudly say that I’m a DAFNE Kuwait graduate.
I’ve become a new person in the best possible way. I live with diabetes, and many times, I even forget I have it.
I owe deep gratitude to my DAFNE family: Jumana AlKandari, Amal Abdullah, Amal Zadeh, and Noura AlOtaibi. Their support, teaching, and care have truly changed my life for the better. It’s a gift I will never forget.”
Noura AlAkkari
DAFNE Kuwait Graduate
“DAFNE changed my life.
My life used to be full of blood sugar chaos, constantly high glucose readings, severe hypoglycemia episodes, repeated hospital admissions due to hyperglycemia, and many failed attempts to gain control.
That all changed when I discovered DAFNE in 2010 and joined this amazing team. Back then, I was part of the very first DAFNE group in Kuwait, and I learnt so much: how to regulate blood glucose, how to count carbohydrates before every meal, how to correctly use and store insulin pens, how insulin pumps work and how to use them, and how to manage diabetes during travel, illness, and exercise, with the continuous support of specialized educators.
Indeed, DAFNE transformed my life. My glucose readings improved dramatically, I mastered carb counting, and I even overcame weight struggles, my weight is much better now. In 2012, I started using the insulin pump, which changed my life even further, all thanks to DAFNE.
Now in 2025, I am still learning from DAFNE, still attending follow-ups, and I honestly cannot imagine my life without them.
Thank you to DAFNE and everyone who makes it possible, without you our lives with diabetes would not have changed for the better.”
Mariam AlHusainan
DAFNE Kuwait Graduate
“My Story with Diabetes
I was diagnosed with diabetes in 2001, when I was 13 years old. And now, I am 37 years old.
My story with diabetes began a few days before Eid al-Adha. It was a difficult period, especially since I was the only one in my family with diabetes. I spent several days in the hospital and was discharged before the Eid holiday.
After a while, I felt shackled by my diabetes and alone with it. I was unable to control my diabetes despite my efforts, and I was admitted to the emergency room several times due to diabetic comas. Which affected my quality of life and that of my family.
After entering university and in my senior year, I met dietitan Jumana Al-Kandari, who advised me to join the course. Thank God, I took the DAFNE course. My blood sugar became normal, and I never had to go to the emergency room because of my diabetes. I learned how to regulate my blood sugar during illness and during exercise, and how to properly treat highs and lows. The course was a qualitative shift in my life for the better. I advise every person with diabetes to take it because it is essential for everyone with diabetes. Now, more than 15 years later, I am still applying what I learned. Thank God, I live a healthy life without diabetes complications. I work as a psychologist to help everyone who needs help.
Currently, I am a wife and mother with two children and pregnant with my third. Every day, I thank God that I took DAFNE course and am living with diabetes normally.
Thank you, DAFNE.
And thank you, Dasman Diabetes Institute.”
Fatma Ahmad
DAFNE Kuwait Graduate
“Taking the DAFNE course at Dasman Diabetes Center has truly been a life-changing experience for me. Before DAFNE, managing my type 1 diabetes felt like an endless battle. I was constantly second-guessing myself — from what to eat to accepting the reality of a steep spike that followed. Attempting to balance my life with my condition felt overwhelming and isolating.
Through DAFNE, I finally gained the knowledge, tools, and confidence I needed to take control of my health. It completely changed how I view my body and my diabetes. For the first time, I truly understood what my body needs and how to meet those needs in a way that works for me. One of the biggest breakthroughs for me was learning that insulin is not the enemy.
Dr Ebaa Alozairi
DAFNE
“While I was training in UK I observed DAFNE and witnessed how DAFNE is highly structured robust the program based on clinical evidence. Prior to this I was Fulbright fellow at Joslin but despite being the hub of the education, nothing can match the robustness of DAFNE UK with the great support of Central DAFNE. Prof Simon Heller and Prof Stephanie Amiel has really made it possible to transfer this to Kuwait, being the 1st country in the Middle East. The support we have received from Central DAFNE through Gillian and later through Becky were beyond words. Dr Jackie Elliot has transformed DAFNE with embracing technology and going out of the box
We have been running DAFNE in Kuwait for almost 15 years. The feedback has been second to none. . Graduates often describe DAFNE as life-changing and many believe this should be mandatory to all people with type 1 diabetes, graduates feel empowered and can whizz through daily life with challenges.
DAFNE has inspired me not only to build a strong team in Kuwait but to spread this to the Gulf. This has been the most rewarding. Seeing the big smile on patients faces and being fully empowered with the long lasting outcomes of increasing time in range, reduction of hypoglycemia and increasing confidence of diabetes management. Nothing is more rewarding than hearing the words of how DAFNE has transformed people lives. DAFNE has transformed the health outcomes in Kuwait with reduction of ambulance calls and admission to hospitals with DKA or hypoglycemia. This is the most cost effective model.
I highly advocate every DSN and DSD to join DAFNE and all countries to adopt DAFNE. Nothing has been more rewarding compared to embracing DAFNE. This is the most cost effective model and best investment”.
Etab Taghadom
Senior DAFNE educator
“I first heard about DAFNE through Dr. Ebaa, who introduced me to the program with great support and encouragement. Her guidance helped me to understand the value of DAFNE and inspired me to become part of it. I have witnessed its impact on people living with type 1 diabetes. It was also recommended within professional networks as a gold-standard structured education programme.
The feedback is overwhelmingly positive. Participants often describe DAFNE as life-changing, giving them freedom, confidence, and practical skills to manage their diabetes more flexibly. Many highlight how supported and empowered they feel after the course—something that truly reflects the strength of the programme . especially when we speaks about fasting Ramadan , plus Many say they leave the course with renewed hope and confidence, feeling empowered in ways they never thought possible. For me, their words are a reminder that DAFNE is not just education—it’s transformation.
Becoming a DAFNE educator has enriched my career significantly. It has strengthened my clinical expertise, improved my teaching and facilitation skills, and allowed me to see first-hand the difference structured education makes. It has also given me a sense of purpose and pride in contributing to a programme that truly transforms lives. DAFNE has been a milestone in my professional journey. With the continuous guidance and support of DAFNE team , I felt empowered to grow into the role of an educator. It has sharpened my clinical knowledge, enhanced my facilitation skills, and deepened my empathy towards people living with diabetes. More than just a career step, DAFNE has shaped my purpose as a healthcare professional—reminding me every day of why I chose this path.
The most enjoyable part is watching participants grow in confidence throughout the course. Seeing them apply the principles, share experiences, and support one another is inspiring. It’s incredibly rewarding to witness their journey and know that the skills they gain will make a lasting difference and The most rewarding aspect of delivering DAFNE is witnessing the transformation in participants over the course of the programme. To see their hesitation turn into confidence, and their challenges turn into skills, is truly inspiring. I enjoy the human connections that are built in the classroom, the shared experiences, and the collective learning that happens. Being part of their journey, with the strong foundation and mentorship I received from DAFNE, is both an honour and a joy.
I would encourage them wholeheartedly. Being a DAFNE educator is both rewarding and professionally enriching. My advice would be to embrace the role with openness and enthusiasm—trust the programme, engage with participants, and you’ll find the experience deeply fulfilling. I would tell them to take the step with confidence and openness. Becoming a DAFNE educator is more than just a professional achievement—it is a chance to directly change lives. With the right support, as I personally experienced from Dr. Ebaa and DAFNE team inhouse and overseas , the journey becomes not only manageable but deeply fulfilling. My advice would be: trust the programme, believe in the process, and be ready to witness life-changing moments. The experience will shape you just as much as it shapes the participants.”