International Media Solutions LLC
Join the conversation:
  • Home
  • Services
    • The MoJo Kit®
    • Multimedia Production & Training
    • Social Media Integration & Instruction
    • M&E 2.0
  • About
    • Professional Advisory Board
    • Employment
  • Blog
  • Contact

Somalia Part Deux

3/5/2011

1 Comment

 
Picture
I just arrived back at the lovely Ambassador hotel after completing the second day of our six day training on video editing and production.  I am impressed with the trainees, and my first impressions about the friendliness of the Somali people continues to hold water.  In total there are three women and three young men I am working with.  Each represents a different area of the country and I am helping them put together two documentary shorts on "Peaceful Approaches to Conflict."

It has been fascinating to see the raw footage they collected.  Before I arrived I asked them to interview peace activists, government officials, clan leaders, and of course militia leaders.  The footage from Mogadishu is particularly gruesome.  Abdinaser, the young man from Mogadishu had some incredible tape of house to house combat, with bullets literally flying by the camera making the unmistakable whistle of a round passing far too close for comfort.  The next shot cuts to the remnants of an Al Shabab fighter who laid his last land mine.  Other footage from the countryside as you would expect shows famished cattle, with even more famished children. It can be hard to watch at times, but this is their life through their lens.  


Read More
1 Comment

Greetings from Somaliland!

2/27/2011

0 Comments

 
Picture
I arrived at Hargeysa around 10:30am after a nice 5 hour nap in Nairobi. I'm staying at the lovelyAmbassador Hotel, room #213. I'm in the the "deluxe" suite, which means I have two fans instead of one. That's right, no A/C in the entire hotel and its already 90 degrees here! Did I mention there is no booze either??? Yikes, would like to have known that back in duty free. Guess I'll be drying out in more ways than one.Landing was interesting...the runway must have been managed by the DC City Council, because it was full of potholes. Aside from Turkmenistan this is the most out of the way place I think you could visit. Goats and sheep roam the tarmac, while refugees have set up camps along the fence-line. Two of our staff members picked us up so that was nice. The terrain is barren, hard scrapple rock, with big thorny trees dotting the landscape. Its arid so not too much vegetation despite this being the green season. Not sure I've ever seen this level of poverty anywhere. We have limited internet access, but that should improve tomorrow at the office.The food here is a bit different than I was expecting. Lots of camel and goat on the menu. I opted out for the chicken sandwich today. I've been warned I will be eating camel sometime this week. Strangely enough there is a strong Indian influence in the cuisine, so I may have to try some goat curry before I leave as well. What also struck me was how little the people smoke here. Everywhere I go in the Arab world people are smoking their lungs out, but not here. Not sure if it is economics or religion but its nice to not smell like an ashtray everyday. The people are also very friendly, especially the Kenyans. I can't tell you how many times in just the few hours I was there I heard, "American? Obama good!" In fact even the Somalilanders love Obama. The people are very thankful as well. I was stuck how many people thanked me for coming here. A bit humbling to say the least.

0 Comments
Forward>>

    RSS Feed

    Author

    Michael Clarke is the owner of International Media Solutions LLC, creator of the MoJo Kit®, multimedia consultant, RPCV, and gardener with a passion for helping others.

    This is a personal weblog. The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer(s).

    Archives

    January 2016
    July 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    June 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    November 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011

International Media Solutions LLC | 730 11th Street NE | Suite 401 | Washington, DC 20002
† MoJo Kit is a registered trademark of International Media Solutions LLC
Phone: +1 (202) 441-2891