EXHIBITS

Every Step a Novel: Our Contributors

This exhibit explores the experiences of eight men who fled Somali following the Somali Civil War and who now live in the Salt Lake area. This exhibit is based on interviews conducted with them by Haden Griggs in the latter half of 2019. During most of these interviews, Haden was accompanied and aided by Omar, a member of the Somali community in Utah. Read more about the contributors' experiences below.

Complete transcripts and audio for each interview are housed at USU digital commons. If you are interested in reading or hearing them in their entirety, click here.

Abdirizak Ibrahim: Abdirizak was 12 years old when the Somali Civil War began and he and his family fled their home. He spent some time in Kakuma Refugee Camp, and was resettled in Salt Lake City in 1998. Abdirizak founded a nonprofit organization in Salt Lake to help Somalis and other refugees adapt to life in America.

Abdulkhaliq Barbaar: When the Somali Civil War started in 1991, Abdulkhaliq was only six years old. He fled to Ethiopia with his family, then went to Kenya, eventually ending up in the Kakuma Refugee Camp. He now works for Hartland Partnership Center, working to reduce systemic barrier to higher education.

Aden Batar: Aden grew up in the city of Baidoa, Somalia. He studied law in Mogadishu, but fled to Kenya after the Somali Civil War started. He now works in refugee services for Catholic Community Services, helping refugees get adjusted to their new homes.

Ali Bahaji: Ali grew up in Mogadishu, but flew to Nairobi after the Somali Civil War started. Eventually, after working various jobs, Ali was able to purchase Yellow Cab Taxi Service in Salt Lake City, and now runs a large fleet of taxis.

Aydrus Mohammed: Aydrus is a Somali Bajuni, a minority group in Somalia, and lived near the Kenyan border as a child. He spent 23 years in refugee camps, mostly in Kakuma, where he became a preschool teacher. He was resettled in Utah in 2014. Aydrus opted not to include a photo.

Ismael Mohamed: Ismael, a Somali Bajuni, grew up on the Kenyan border in a fishing village, before fleeing to Kenya following violence against the Bajuni. He grew up in several refugee camps, including Kakuma. He now runs an NGO helping resettled Bajunis in Salt Lake, as well as helping with a youth soccer team to help youth find community, support, and make good choices. Ismael opted not to include a photo.

Osman Ahmed: Osman grew up in Mogadishu, where he worked for the Red Crescent. As the violence worsened and American peacekeeping turned violent, Osman fled to Kenya. He now serves on the interfaith board at the Khadeeja Mosque, working to help different faith groups find commonality and encourage cooperation between people of all faiths.

Yussuf Abdi: Yussuf grew up in Kismaayo in southern Somalia, fleeing at around age six to Kenya because of the Somali Civil War. He spent some time in California before moving to Utah. He now leads and serves as an Imam at the Madina Mosque.