Aina

One of my mentors is National Geographic photographer, REZA. He recruited me to help him bring one of the most beautiful ideas I’ve ever heard to life. An international Media NGO (non-governmental organization) to bring media, arts, and training to Afghans so they could tell their own stories, through photography, film, radio, TV, newspapers and magazines. He named it AINA which means reflection or mirror in Dari. I started out as a representative in the US, then moved to Kabul to work with Reza and other journalists & volunteers all over Afghanistan becoming the first, possibly the only creative director in country since before the Taliban. The Mobile Cinema Project, shown below, was just one of the experiences we created to bring long lasting cultural value for Afghans no matter what the political backdrop. Many projects and businesses spun out of AINA, (including Tolo TV). Despite current turmoil and set backs after the departure of US in 2022, several of our trainees are now professional journalists and teachers including Farzanah Wahidy, and Massoud Hosseini (a Pulitzer Prize nominee).

Relevant links: https://www.commarts.com/columns/creative-director-wanted-kabul

My role: CD, Writer, Strategist, Producer