Manel Solano

I am Ismail Taxta, a professional journalist from Somalia with extensive experience working in East Africa. My work primarily focuses on capturing humanitarian and development stories for NGOs and private companies. Additionally, I am the director and founder of Hornstories, a reputable media and communications agency specializing in humanitarian storytelling, media strategy, and content production in the East African region.

Born in 1982 in Mogadishu, the capital city of Somalia, I pursued my education at Somalia University, where I studied various subjects, including photography and editing. In 2010, I successfully obtained my bachelor's degree in journalism from Mogadishu University.

My career in journalism began in 2001 when I started working with Somali FM radios, as well as contributing to several Somali websites and newspapers. In 2007, I joined Reuters as a stringer, further expanding my professional network. Throughout my career, I have also worked as a freelance photographer for esteemed international NGOs such as WFP, WHO, UNHCR, UNICEF, and DKH. BMGF, and others. 

My portfolio encompasses a wide range of significant events, including coverage of the civil war in Somalia, the drought in the Horn of Africa in 2011, and the flooding in various regions of Somalia in 2018. Through my photography, I strive to provide comprehensive visual documentation of these impactful occurrences.