Returning home to Somalia with grey hair and a desire to give back |

An education specialist who left Somalia as a child when the civil war broke out in 1991 has now returned to support the Ministry of Education as they expand national testing.  

The programme which enabled this specialist, named Shire Salad, to return — Migration for Development in Africa or MIDA — is run by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and recruits diaspora experts who have  a “personal desire to give back.”

MIDA then pairs these experts with local professionals who work together to advance the development of hospitals, schools and other institutions. While the diaspora experts ultimately leave, the hope is that their skills will remain.  

UN News’ Naima Sawaya spoke with Mr. Salad about his experience returning to Somalia after so many years.