By Marissa Solomon
Tuesday May 11, 2021
Rayan Abdulahi Mohamed, National Geographic Society.
Through her writing and photography, 17-year-old Rayan Mohamed is a storyteller.
Mohamed, a junior at Henninger High School, participated in National Geographic’s week-long photo camp earlier this year, which teaches students to use photojournalism to tell stories about themselves and their communities. The program is led by world-renowned photographers Andrea Bruce and David Guttenfelder, focusing on students’ perspectives on important issues. The program began in 2003 and has been run in over 35 countries.
This year’s virtual camp focused on “Democracy in Action.” The group of students met on Zoom and held discussions on what democracy meant for them. For Mohamed, whose family left Somalia and lived in refugee camps in Ethiopia until she moved to the United States at age 11, a personal definition of democracy is important. Coming to America, Mohamed said she experienced racism and social injustice that she had not had to worry about before.
“As a black, Muslim girl that was born in a civil war in Somalia and raised in a refugee camp located in Ethiopia, I view democracy as peace, equality and respect,” Mohamed said. She says she appreciated the diversity of her program group and hearing her peers’ unique definitions of democracy.
Mohamed’s experience in the photo camp greatly influenced her photography.
“Some of my favorite pictures are the black and white side profile picture and the one [where] I’m praying because that represents to me peace and respect. That I will be able to pray anywhere at anytime, which that’s not the case now, but I hope to be in the future we are able to not differentiate anyone just because they are different then you,” Mohamed said.
Mohamed was introduced to the Photo Camp opportunity by Ahmed Badr, the founder of Narratio. Narratio is a global platform meant to encourage youth empowerment through creative expression. Mohamed spent her summer writing and creating short films.
“(The camp) gives me the opportunity to explore my story through photography. I was humbled and honored to be part of such talented photographers and amazing students across the country,” Mohamed said.
While she’s not sure exactly what she wants to do in the future, Mohamed plans to continue with photography and keep telling stories.
“National Geographic has been the best experience I ever had. It gives me hope for the future because the discussions we had in class were so true and so deep of what democracy means to us,” she said.
In her own words
Rayan Abdulahi Mohamed, a 17-year old Somalian refugee living in Syracuse, shared her thoughts on democracy as a Black Muslim woman in one of her assignments for the National Geographic Virtual Photo Camp: Democracy in Action.
“I‘m 17 years old. I’m from Somalia and I lived as a refugee in Ethiopia for 7 years. I never actually never thought about what democracy meant.
Now I think, democracy is about bringing people together without one being left out, and having a community that’s fair and respecting each other’s background and beliefs. As a minority black Muslim in this country, it can be hard to think about. Am I even welcome in this country? It can be hard to think about social justice, if something happens, god forbid, will I get justice?
I think it won’t be the same justice for me.
The differences we have may cause the separation, but I think having people that are from all over the world and still working together to bring a better future and preparing the next generation is a hope -- that “difference” doesn’t mean one is better than the other.”