In case you missed it, the Mataano Spring 2013 show debuted this week during New York Fashion Week. The Somali twin duo’s collection was heralded with critical acclaim which was visible through the packed attendance at their show. The debut was held at a remarkable old church which was outfitted with rows of seats and a performance space for singer Wynter Gordon who appeared after the show. This was the Somali twin sisters sixth collection which also featured Somali model Ayan Elmi. We’ve continued to celebrate the success of the design duo with features which you can find here. For more on their sixth collection, read more. 
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In case you missed it, the Mataano Spring 2013 show debuted this week during New York Fashion Week. The Somali twin duo’s collection was heralded with critical acclaim which was visible through the packed attendance at their show. The debut was held at a remarkable old church which was outfitted with rows of seats and a performance space for singer Wynter Gordon who appeared after the show. This was the Somali twin sisters sixth collection which also featured Somali model Ayan Elmi. We’ve continued to celebrate the success of the design duo with features which you can find here. For more on their sixth collection, read more. 

In a world proliferated with fashion, how does one stay modest yet stylish? Enter, Sayyida Living - a lifestyle website connecting Muslim women around the globe. Based out of Canada, Sayyida Living is a collaborative work of stylish Somali ladies Muna and Fatuma. With a degree in accounting and international management, Muna lives a lifestyle she would characterize as comfortably chic à la hijab. She has traveled extensively during her exchange in France which led to a long fascination with different cultures and lifestyles. She also dabbles as a model of Sayyida Living. Fatuma, on the other hand, has an incredible love for technology and the arts, and has had a life long fascination with design and colour. Having studied economics, business and e-Publishing, Fatuma describes her lifestyle as the do-it-all in a pair of jeans and boots. Perhaps Fay’s greatest inspiration stems from travel and self-education. Inspired by travel and a fascination for the interesting stories that connect us all, both ladies combine their experience and energy to bring you Sayyida Living featuring creating Muslim designers, excellent editorial content, including photography and video production! To find out more, visit their website here. 

Have you given back to your community lately? Be part of our +Give drive by volunteering in your community and engage in positive acts all around the world. Whether it’s by joining with your friends to give back reading materials to schools in Somalia or by speaking out about the situation in our homeland, we urge you to do it positively and invest in causes you’re passionate about and most importantly through giving back to our Somali community. The Somali Community Service Coalition of Seattle, Washington is one such organization doing great work. Started in 1995 with a vision of a stronger, more empowered Somali community in King County, it is the only East African community-based agency located in the greater Seattle area that provides cultural and linguistically appropriate services to Somalis and other East Africans.Here are other examples of Somalis engaged in their communities: Somali community service organizations in San Diego, Ohio, Minnesota and the U.S. in general; Ontario, Alberta and Canada in general, London, Manchester and the U.K. in general. There are of course countless others and here is an example of Somali mothers engaged to protect the health of their children in Minnesota. We urge to be involved, be inspired, be positive, and be Somali!  
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Have you given back to your community lately? Be part of our +Give drive by volunteering in your community and engage in positive acts all around the world. Whether it’s by joining with your friends to give back reading materials to schools in Somalia or by speaking out about the situation in our homeland, we urge you to do it positively and invest in causes you’re passionate about and most importantly through giving back to our Somali community. The Somali Community Service Coalition of Seattle, Washington is one such organization doing great work. Started in 1995 with a vision of a stronger, more empowered Somali community in King County, it is the only East African community-based agency located in the greater Seattle area that provides cultural and linguistically appropriate services to Somalis and other East Africans.Here are other examples of Somalis engaged in their communities: Somali community service organizations in San Diego, Ohio, Minnesota and the U.S. in general; Ontario, Alberta and Canada in general, London, Manchester and the U.K. in general. There are of course countless others and here is an example of Somali mothers engaged to protect the health of their children in Minnesota. We urge to be involved, be inspired, be positive, and be Somali!  

As if taking the modelling world by storm wasn’t enough, Somali model Ubah Hassan shares her efforts to provide sustainable solutions to the water shortages in the Horn of Africa through “Maji Umbrellas”, a company she co-founded with Dr. Eric Dessner. Maji stands for water in Swahili. The worsening of the famine crisis in Somalia last year inspired Ubah to contribute her efforts to help stem water shortages, which is a cause close to her heart. Combining her experiences in the fashion industry with her desire to assist her homeland, Ubah designed the Maji Umbrella. An expression of her style and compassion, sales of the umbrella will help fund Oxfam America’s sustainable solutions to water supply in the Horn of Africa and other drought stricken parts of the world. Visit their website here and hear her speak about her cause during World Water Day here. Be Inspired! Be Positive! Be Somali!
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As if taking the modelling world by storm wasn’t enough, Somali model Ubah Hassan shares her efforts to provide sustainable solutions to the water shortages in the Horn of Africa through “Maji Umbrellas”, a company she co-founded with Dr. Eric Dessner. Maji stands for water in Swahili. The worsening of the famine crisis in Somalia last year inspired Ubah to contribute her efforts to help stem water shortages, which is a cause close to her heart. Combining her experiences in the fashion industry with her desire to assist her homeland, Ubah designed the Maji Umbrella. An expression of her style and compassion, sales of the umbrella will help fund Oxfam America’s sustainable solutions to water supply in the Horn of Africa and other drought stricken parts of the world. Visit their website here and hear her speak about her cause during World Water Day here. Be Inspired! Be Positive! Be Somali!

What do you get when you combine English style with Nordic looks? You get a brilliant styling, top modeling, photographing and image consulting Somali duo named Barkan and Ali! Partly inspired by their parent’s taste in fashion and their global experiences, Barkan and Ali are taking the styling, modelling and photography world by storm! With a combined impressive list of clientele in the publishing, tv/movie, music, fashion and design world and having styled models, celebrities, and walked the runways of New York, Milan, Paris and London, you are guaranteed to see more of the achievements of this young and fierce Somali duo. To learn more, visit their website here, their blog here, and follow them on Twitter here.
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What do you get when you combine English style with Nordic looks? You get a brilliant styling, top modeling, photographing and image consulting Somali duo named Barkan and Ali! Partly inspired by their parent’s taste in fashion and their global experiences, Barkan and Ali are taking the styling, modelling and photography world by storm! With a combined impressive list of clientele in the publishing, tv/movie, music, fashion and design world and having styled models, celebrities, and walked the runways of New York, Milan, Paris and London, you are guaranteed to see more of the achievements of this young and fierce Somali duo. To learn more, visit their website here, their blog here, and follow them on Twitter here.
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What do you get when you combine English style with Nordic looks? You get a brilliant styling, top modeling, photographing and image consulting Somali duo named Barkan and Ali! Partly inspired by their parent’s taste in fashion and their global experiences, Barkan and Ali are taking the styling, modelling and photography world by storm! With a combined impressive list of clientele in the publishing, tv/movie, music, fashion and design world and having styled models, celebrities, and walked the runways of New York, Milan, Paris and London, you are guaranteed to see more of the achievements of this young and fierce Somali duo. To learn more, visit their website here, their blog here, and follow them on Twitter here.
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What do you get when you combine English style with Nordic looks? You get a brilliant styling, top modeling, photographing and image consulting Somali duo named Barkan and Ali! Partly inspired by their parent’s taste in fashion and their global experiences, Barkan and Ali are taking the styling, modelling and photography world by storm! With a combined impressive list of clientele in the publishing, tv/movie, music, fashion and design world and having styled models, celebrities, and walked the runways of New York, Milan, Paris and London, you are guaranteed to see more of the achievements of this young and fierce Somali duo. To learn more, visit their website here, their blog here, and follow them on Twitter here.

Have you Wished Creatively lately? If not, then support marginalized women globally to empower themselves and in turn their communities by purchasing one-of-a-kind, hand-made Jewelry by WI$H CREATIVELY, brought to you by Somali sensational duo Siham and Iman HASHI. The proceeds from your purchases will go towards supporting women to live self-empowered lives where they’re given the chance to be creative as leaders, and access resources that empower them socially and economically. Be Inspired! Be Positive! Be Somali!
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Have you Wished Creatively lately? If not, then support marginalized women globally to empower themselves and in turn their communities by purchasing one-of-a-kind, hand-made Jewelry by WI$H CREATIVELY, brought to you by Somali sensational duo Siham and Iman HASHI. The proceeds from your purchases will go towards supporting women to live self-empowered lives where they’re given the chance to be creative as leaders, and access resources that empower them socially and economically. Be Inspired! Be Positive! Be Somali!

If you’re looking for ways to contribute back to Somalia or need to find out the many companies assisting in rebuilding the Horn of Africa, look no further than Albany Associates. Albany provides strategic communications effects to help stabilise Somalia. One of the cornerstones of their assistance has been to develop positive messaging for the African Union troops and the Somali Transitional Federal Government to gain wider support from the population. Albany is also training Somali governmental institutions in public affairs and public outreach, providing lectures and practical sessions and exercises to senior and junior officials. Read more. 
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If you’re looking for ways to contribute back to Somalia or need to find out the many companies assisting in rebuilding the Horn of Africa, look no further than Albany Associates. Albany provides strategic communications effects to help stabilise Somalia. One of the cornerstones of their assistance has been to develop positive messaging for the African Union troops and the Somali Transitional Federal Government to gain wider support from the population. Albany is also training Somali governmental institutions in public affairs and public outreach, providing lectures and practical sessions and exercises to senior and junior officials. Read more. 

Turkey continues its commitment to Somalia by starting the first international commercial flight to Mogadishu. Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag of Turkey announced the development this week after arriving in Mogadishu on a Turkish Airlines flight from Istanbul Ataturk Airport. Somalis can now travel the world again, he said! Check out our features on Turkey’s previous engagement with Somalia here. 
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Turkey continues its commitment to Somalia by starting the first international commercial flight to Mogadishu. Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag of Turkey announced the development this week after arriving in Mogadishu on a Turkish Airlines flight from Istanbul Ataturk Airport. Somalis can now travel the world again, he said! Check out our features on Turkey’s previous engagement with Somalia here. 
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Turkey continues its commitment to Somalia by starting the first international commercial flight to Mogadishu. Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag of Turkey announced the development this week after arriving in Mogadishu on a Turkish Airlines flight from Istanbul Ataturk Airport. Somalis can now travel the world again, he said! Check out our features on Turkey’s previous engagement with Somalia here. 

Heard of Somali environmentalist and humanitarian Fatima Jibrell? Fatima is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Horn of Africa Relief and Development Organization and co-founder of Sun Fire Cooking. She was also instrumental in the creation of the Women’s Coalition for Peace. Daughter of a Somali merchant marine and wife to a diplomat, Fatima was educated in Syria and the United States with degrees in Social Work and English. Through her work, she continues to tirelessly work on issues affecting Somalia. For her efforts, she was awarded the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize in 2002, the largest award for grass-roots environmentalists. Follow Fatima’s work at Horn Relief here and watch her participation in an expert panel on deserts and migration here. Be Inspired! Be Positive! Be Somali!
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Heard of Somali environmentalist and humanitarian Fatima Jibrell? Fatima is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Horn of Africa Relief and Development Organization and co-founder of Sun Fire Cooking. She was also instrumental in the creation of the Women’s Coalition for Peace. Daughter of a Somali merchant marine and wife to a diplomat, Fatima was educated in Syria and the United States with degrees in Social Work and English. Through her work, she continues to tirelessly work on issues affecting Somalia. For her efforts, she was awarded the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize in 2002, the largest award for grass-roots environmentalists. Follow Fatima’s work at Horn Relief here and watch her participation in an expert panel on deserts and migration here. Be Inspired! Be Positive! Be Somali!