Photographer and blogger at IOM Somali Mission, focused on visual storytelling, communication, and content that informs, inspires, and connects people.
I am a photographer and blogger with a passion for visual storytelling and communication. I currently work as a Communications Assistant at IOM Somali Mission, where I support impactful storytelling and content creation.
Through my work, I focus on capturing meaningful moments and sharing stories that inform, inspire, and connect people.
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Reflections on photography, communication, and meaningful stories from the field.
Travelling you get allot of experience than staying at Home
On the 30th of May, we went on a tourist trip to the Bal’ad district, which is 36 km north of the capital city of Mogadishu. In fact, we were friends who ...
Yusuf Banani
On the 30th of May, we went on a tourist trip to the Bal’ad district, which is 36 km north of the capital city of Mogadishu. In fact, we were friends who agreed to take a day trip out of the town. At 10:20 AM, we drove a Pro, pox car from the Afarta-Darjiin intersection in Yaqshid district, heading towards the Bal’ad district in the Middle Shabelle region. It was my first time going to Bal’ad. Another thing that made our trip worthwhile is that we have friends from Bal’ad. You can feel friends traveling together and there is no way of not having some hilarious and fun time of stories and jokes. We played charming songs in the car. Nevertheless, we have reached our destination. Soon we began to take pictures of the new tarmac road and the Bal’ad Bridge. The bridge is a canal crossing culvert which is a place where there is water and agricultural fields next to it.
We later headed to our friend’s home There was one of the best hospitality ever prepared by our friends for us and there was everything available. The food was very delicious. We took some rest and it was time for the noon prayer. We prayed, and soon we came back home. We suggested charging our mobile phones and relaxing at home until the sun sets.
After that, we headed to the dam water of Bal’ad and the weather was calm and the sky was apparently raining heavily. After a short walk, we went to the dam water and the beautiful gardens of Bal’ad. The project for the construction of the drainage system was finalized by the cooperation between the Democratic Republic of Somalia and the Democratic Republic of the People’s Republic of Korea in 1980.
While I was there during my trip to Bal’ad, actually one of the things I saw was that the motorcycle that is mostly used to facilitate the trip all the way from Mogadishu and its surrounds, and people often go to the fields and back. Also, the business and livelihood of most of the people in Bal’ad depend on agriculture and livestock. The people living in Bal’ad are mostly working people who are engaged in farming.
Bal’ad is located in the north of Mogadishu, and it has strong business connections with the northern and eastern regions but the leadership and authorities at local, Hirshabelle, and federal levels seemed to have neglected the city. Competent and committed leadership could turn the city into a commercial hub and an example for growing Somali cities.
I felt I was at home and enjoyed my short stay there. I hope I will be able to contribute to the city’s development, one way or another, in the near future.
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