49-year-old Dr. Sulaiman is a professor of neurosurgery and spinal surgery, and chairman of the neurosurgery department at Ochsner Neuroscience Institute in New Orleans.

He is also from Nigeria, a nation of 201 million people, 1/3 of whom live in poverty.

Photo: anthrohealth.net

As for Dr. Sulaiman, "I am one of 10 children born into a polygamous family," he told CNN. "My siblings and I shared one room where we often found ourselves sleeping on a mat on the floor."

So, in the midst of this poverty, how did Dr. Sulaiman become a doctor?

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The Nigerian government gave him a scholarship to attend medical school in Bulgaria.

As a result, Dr. Sulaiman feels a strong sense of responsibility to help others.

"Africans who have had the privilege of getting outstanding training and education abroad must mobilize their network of influence to transform our continent," he told CNN.

In 2010, he and his wife Patricia, a nurse, started RNZ Global, which provides medical care and healthcare training in Nigeria, and in the U.S.

Patricia Sulaiman teaching CPR and AED techniques in Nigeria
Photo: thecircular.org

He spends 25% of his time practicing medicine in Nigeria.

In Nigeria, Dr. Sulaiman provides his renowned surgical skills and educates other doctors and he also brings medicines and equipment, a godsend to a poor nation.

Why does he do this?

"I believe that happiness doesn't come from what you get, rather, it comes from what you give. There is always room to give; you don't need to be a millionaire to give."

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