Somali-Canadian journalist Hodan Nalayeh returned to Somalia in May to document what life is like in the African country. Her goal was simple: she wanted to show the world that Somalia wasn't as dangerous as everyone thought, despite the country's struggle with war and terrorist attacks.
Nalayeh took to Instagram to share her excitement, saying for the first time in 30 years she was living in Somalia.
She frequently posted pictures that showed how beautiful Somalia is.
But fast forward eight weeks later and Nalayeh is dead.
According to CNN, Nalayeh died when a terrorist attack took place in Kismayo, about 300 miles south of Mogadish, the capital. A suicide bomber had detonated a vehicle outside of the Asasey Hotel and multiple gunmen opened fire inside the hotel. Nalayeh was one of the 26 people who died at the hands of the gunmen. Her husband, Farid Jama Suleiman, also died in the attack. Another 50 were injured.
The Islamist group al-Shabab took credit for the attack, which was the worst attack the city saw since 2012, BBC reported.
Nalayeh was born in Somalia in the 1970s but her family moved to Canada when she was six-years-old. She founded a YouTube channel called Integration TV, with the mission of "building a community of inspiring and uplifting stories for Somalis worldwide."
Her family took to Facebook to share the news and ask for privacy while mourning.
"She spent her life devoted to serving the Somali people and reporting on positive, uplifting stories. Her dedicated mission was to spread light and love to the Somali world through her work in journalism," the family said. "She died serving the Somali community everywhere and doing what she loved most. She brought inspiration and hope to the Somali people through story telling. She will be deeply missed."