Mohamed: Always Running
In M’bera, if you see someone sprinting past you in a purple shirt, there’s a high chance it’s Mohamed, the camp’s running enthusiast.
Mohamed always loved running back home in Mali. As a herdsman, he would often take out his oxen, cows, and donkeys and race them with his friends.
But after arriving in the M’bera refugee camp, things changed for Mohamed. He found it hard to be active in large groups, and instead, he turned inwards and preferred to be by himself. Thankfully, his friends picked up on this and they convinced him to run with them. Not only was it a way to reconnect with people, but most importantly, it was a way for Mohamed to cope and heal through an activity he loved and had left behind him when fleeing Mali.
"When we finished running, I found myself unloaded like a van. It's as if I had something heavy on my back and I put it down and then drove off."
Mohamed initiated runs with other people himself - it allowed him to meet new friends, reduce his stress levels, and find a sense of calm.
He doesn’t want to relive those early moments, when he felt alone and isolated in M’bera. That’s why he prefers to run in a group, often gathering up to 20 people, creating a space where they can talk about anything, while trying to beat their Personal Bests. A space where they can share their experiences, ask for help and learn from each other.
MOHAMED, BACKOTT AND ATTAHER
"If there are young people who have just arrived at the camp, running helps them to adapt to the camp,” Mohamed mentions. M’bera’s community is diverse - whether you’re Fulani, Tuareg or Arab, you can run together and become friends.
FATIMETOU AND MOHAMED
PHOTOS BY COCO OLAKUNLE
"Running is a source of inclusion."
