Moomken

Ahmed founded Moomken in 2013 to teach young people basic skills in technical media, and has trained more than 600 people to date. The organisation aims to grow the design and technical skills of young people so that they can work as freelancers in Libya following the 2011 uprising. 

Moomken teaches young people how to use design software, shoot and edit videos and how to capture stories of interest through different media. Many NGOs and international organsiations began working in Libya after 2011, but many would bring their own media specialists from abroad to report on local news. By developing the next generation of homegrown media specialists, Moomken enables these foreign organisations to recruit local young people into these media roles. This internally developed pool of talent is then able to earn an income through freelance work, whilst reporting on the situation in Libya with a deeper understanding of the local context. 

Journalism is at risk in Libya, with many journalists seeing the country to escape persecution. Libya was ranked 162nd out of 180 countries in the 2018 World Press Freedom Index. Over time, Ahmed has noticed the need for homegrown specialists in both conflict analysis and in monitoring and evaluation, since these have become areas of increasing interest for international organisations. Moomken thus expanded its offering to include practical training in conflict analysis and monitoring and evaluation. 

Moomken then facilitated connections between these young people and international organisations to both fill a skills gap and to enable young people to access lucrative employment opportunities. Moomken has worked on several other projects such as establishing a national schools registry, a campus-based anti-harassment campaign and a debate competition for high school students. Moomken is also set to open a coworking space to encourage enterprise and innovation from its office in Tripoli.