# Hodan Nalayeh (Hodan Naaleeye)

> Hodan Nalayeh (1976–2019): Somali-Canadian journalist and founder of Integration TV, known for positive Somali stories.

Source page: https://calankii.com/en/people/hodan-nalayeh/
Last checked: 2026-11-12
Publisher: Calankii (https://calankii.com)

## Who was she?

Hodan Nalayeh was a Somali-Canadian media executive, producer and community activist ([Wikipedia, Hodan Nalayeh](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hodan_Nalayeh)). She founded Integration TV to share "positive stories" about Somalis ([Al Jazeera, 15 July 2019](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/7/15/brave-inspiring-somali-canadian-journalist-killed-in-kismayo)).

## Early life

She was born in Las Anod in 1976 ([Al Jazeera](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/7/15/brave-inspiring-somali-canadian-journalist-killed-in-kismayo)). She grew up in a family of twelve children ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hodan_Nalayeh)). As a young child she moved with her family to Edmonton, and in 1992 to Toronto (same source). See [Somalis in Edmonton](/en/diaspora/edmonton/) and [Somalis in Toronto](/en/diaspora/toronto/).

## Study and career

She earned a BA in communications at the University of Windsor and studied broadcast journalism at Seneca College ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hodan_Nalayeh)). She worked for over 13 years in radio and television sales and production (same source). From 2014 she hosted a Somali community show on Citytv in Toronto (same source). It was called *Integration: Building a New Cultural Identity*, and she was also its executive producer (same source). She ran the Cultural Integration Agency, a firm making programmes for many communities (same source).

## Integration TV

Integration TV used tags like #SomaliaSuccess and #SomaliPositivity ([Al Jazeera](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/7/15/brave-inspiring-somali-canadian-journalist-killed-in-kismayo)). It had more than 65,000 subscribers in 2019 (same source). She founded the Somali Refugee Awareness Project, which honoured the singer [Saado Ali Warsame](/en/people/saado-ali-warsame/) in 2011 ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hodan_Nalayeh)). See [media in Somalia](/en/society/media-in-somalia/).

## Going home

In 2014 she became the first of her siblings to go back, to film a documentary on Mogadishu ([Al Jazeera](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/7/15/brave-inspiring-somali-canadian-journalist-killed-in-kismayo)). About a year before her death she moved to Somalia to show its culture and beauty (same source).

## Death

On 12 July 2019 she and her husband, Farid Jama Suleiman, were killed in the attack on the Asasey Hotel in Kismayo ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hodan_Nalayeh)). At least 26 people died ([Al Jazeera](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/7/15/brave-inspiring-somali-canadian-journalist-killed-in-kismayo)). Canada's immigration minister, [Ahmed Hussen](/en/people/ahmed-hussen/), said she "highlighted the community's positive stories" (same source).

## In short

A Canadian Somali broadcaster whose media company produced programmes about Somali life.

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