23 years longing to find my mum
When Omar Mohamed was four, war came to his village in Somalia. His dad was killed and Omar was separated from his mum. So he grabbed his disabled younger brother Hassan and fled.
When war broke out in Somalia in the 1990s, Omar Mohamed’s dad was killed and he was separated from his mum. Omar, who was only four at that time, picked up his disabled younger brother Hassan and started running. The brothers eventually ended up in Kenya’s vast Dadaab refugee camp - the biggest refugee camp in Africa. For years, they never stopped looking for their mother. Until one day, rumours spread around the camp that a woman was looking for them. Could this stranger be Omar and Hassan’s mum?
Omar's extraordinary story has been turned into a graphic novel co-written by Victoria Jamieson, and illustrated by Victoria Jamieson and Iman Geddy. It’s called When stars are scattered. Omar has set up his own charity called Refugee Strong.
Picture: Omar Mohamed.
Credit: Patrick Blain.
Last on
Broadcasts
- Wed 29 Jul 202011:06GMTBBC World Service
- Wed 29 Jul 202017:06GMTBBC World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa
- Thu 30 Jul 202002:06GMTBBC World Service
Contact Outlook
Info on how we might use your contribution on air
Podcast: Lives Less Ordinary
Step into someone else’s life and expect the unexpected
