waris mohamed issa

My work, definitely! I started developing a program called Kasoo Kabo (meaning “to bounce back”) earlier this year. It is meant to raise awareness on people who are struggling with their mental health, as well as their families, especially those who have experienced trauma. With this program, I also hope to provide them with free help, support, and treatment.

What inspires you to do the work you do?

I started as a radio presenter nine and a half years ago. I then moved on to work as a television news presenter, but I was not quite passionate about it. To me, it was just a job. I left the industry for 4 years and now I’m working again as a journalist to support people who live with mental illnesses and to make a difference in their lives. Journalism is a powerful tool to bring more attention, assistance, and change to urgent situations. Mental health in Somaliland is a critical issue that needs more attention.

Do you think that mission-driven organizations and journalists could work hand in hand towards making a positive impact?

Of course, there are organizations and journalists who work together. As long as both sides are doing it for the people who need the services and not for the purpose of promoting the organization’s work in a way that fulfills other motives, I believe positive impact is possible.

Additionally, journalists can make the information available to other mission-driven organizations and enable the services to be scaled with the contribution of other organizations. This can be done through television, radio, social media, and print media awareness campaigns. Journalism can be an important force to help NGOs locate potential beneficiaries and to spread the word to motivate more people to contribute to the change.

What would you recommend any social-purpose organizations to do to start collaborating with journalists?

Organizations can start funding the work journalists do. Journalists are often serving as a bridge between the people they serve and the services they provide. Journalists need to be supported and funding journalism would make this shared vision come true.

It is important that collaboration has to be about the people and not about promoting the organization. The organization would eventually get known for its work but their genuine intention to achieve the shared goals is crucial to make the partnership work.