Somalia Has Announced It Will Grant 'Outstanding' Somali Diasporans the Hodan Nalayeh Award
The new and annual prize has been established in honor of the journalist and founder of Interactive TV who was recently killed in an attack in Somalia.
As Somalis and Africans alike continue to mourn those lost in an attack by Al-Shabab last week, the Somali government has taken the steps to honor them—one of whom being Hodan Nalayeh.
The foreign ministry has announced the Hodan Nalayeh Award—a new, annual prize which will be given to "outstanding" individuals from the Somali diaspora who've made positive contributions to their country, according to BBC.
Nalayeh and her husband, Farid Jama Suleiman, were among the 26 people killed by Al-Shabab in Kismayo—a port city in southern Somalia. The militants stormed The Medina—a popular hotel where regional politicians and elders convened to discuss upcoming elections in the region.
Nalayeh was also nine months pregnant.
A journalist, a 13-year media and marketing vet and the founder of Integration TV—Nalayeh's life's work was dedicated to sharing African stories that are nuanced and show a different side of what her home country looks like. She was on a mission to inspire young Somalis in the diaspora to return home and contribute to rebuilding the country.
Nalayeh was also honored earlier this year in OkayAfrica's 100 Women list. Revisit her story here.
