Hodan Naleye, a respected Somali-Canadian journalist, was tragically killed in an attack on a hotel in Kismayo on Friday 12th July. Hodan had recently settled in the port town with her husband Fariid who also lost his life during the attack. Hodan was pregnant at the time of her death.
Hodan was well-loved for her portrayal of Somalia which countered the traditional media’s image of the country. She established Integration TV, which is the first English online TV platform targeted towards Somalis across the world.
Using social media platforms such as Twitter and Instagram, Hodan would share snippets of her daily life in the country. Hodan amassed a large following on both platforms due to her positive portrayal and insight to places that many Somali diaspora’s had no access to.
Following Hodan’s death, social media users took to Twitter to share their tributes.
On the 15th of July, the official Twitter account of the Somali Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Amb. Ahmed Awad, tweeted that the Foreign Affairs Ministry will introduce an award in the memory of Hodan Naleye meant to celebrate the positive contribution of an individual from the Somali diaspora.
Memorials and celebrations of life will be held in honour of Hodan Naleyeh in Ontario, Canada, Nairobi, Kenya and London, United Kingdom.
*This article was originally posted on our previous website on 17th July 2019.
the haybad online 