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Twenty-three 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 was turned into a graphic novel called When Stars Are Scattered. Omar also set up his own charity called Refugee Strong. He was speaking to Jo Fidgen in July 2020.

Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com

Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producer: Katy Takatsuki

(Photo: Omar Mohamed. Credit: Patrick Blain)

Available now

27 minutes

Last on

Sun 15 May 2022 22:32GMT

Broadcasts

  • Sat 14 May 2022 08:32GMT
  • Sat 14 May 2022 23:32GMT
  • Sun 15 May 2022 08:32GMT
  • Sun 15 May 2022 22:32GMT

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Podcast: Lives Less Ordinary

Podcast: Lives Less Ordinary

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