Over a dozen graduates of FilmAid’s Media Training program have recently returned home to Somalia after more than 20 years living in Dadaab Refugee Camp. These incredible young people are leading the efforts to construct a free press and to bring life-saving, actionable information to the members of their community who need it most.
Abdirizack Africa is a 2012 FilmAid Media Training Graduate who is now the Director General of Radio Kismayo serving the information needs of 1.4 million people in Somalia’s second largest city. He’s also the co-founder of Give Hope Somalia, an organization that “harnesses the power of film to educate, inform and empower communities and relevant stakeholders onissues that affect their day-to-day life.”
Maria Noor Ahmed is a 2016 FilmAid graduate, award winning video editor, and accomplished radio presenter and journalist. Maria is currently working as a journalist and on-air presenter for Jubaland TV, and is the Gender Coordinator for Give Hope Somalia, where she works to ensure that women’s rights are at the core of every project they implement for their UN and government partners in Somalia.
“Thanks to FilmAid for making us who we are
today. We are saving lives back home.”
Ali Hussein Sahal is the Director of Communication for the Ministry of Information in Jubaland, a semi-autonomous province in Somalia. A 2010 FilmAid Media Training Graduate, Ali has returned to Somalia to help rebuild the free press. He worked as the Chief Editor of Jubaland TV before joining the government to ensure that citizens receive accurate and actionable information, and that the government is responsive to inquiries and oversight by the local, national and international press.
Abdulahi Mire is a 2011 FilmAid graduate and freelance journalist currently completing a university degree in Nairobi. Mire’s writing and reporting has been featured in the Washington Post, Al Jazeera, CNN and other leading publications. He is also spearheading an all-volunteer initiative to gather donated books for school-aged children in Dadaab Refugee Camp who are forced to share one text book with 100 other classmates.