In November 2018, through the support of Somali Australian Council of Victoria (SACOV) and Himilo Community Connect, 25 young Australian-Somali men and women embarked on a journey of a lifetime, traveling back to Somalia from Australia for the third year of the SACOV Somali Trip 2019.
Volunteering their time and self-funding their travel, the Somali Trip 2019 team represented Australia on an international stage, through football competition and delivery of a Medical Mission in the cities of Kismayo, Mogadishu, Baidoa.
For many of the team, it was a chance to discover their homeland for the first time and make a cultural connection with local communities in Somalia.
The journey also involved visiting historical sites and meeting with dignitaries and heads of state, including the president of Somalia Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo who had encouraging words for the group of young people and the expedition organisers.