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'Kids of the Colony': YouTubers exploring their homelands

When their documentary pitch was ignored friends Abu Finiin, Kayum Miah and Zak Hajjaj bought their own camera and did it themselves racking up millions of views on social media.

Londoner Abu Finiin was studying at Oxford University when he began pitching a documentary series he thought could be the next big thing. But when no production companies took it on, he decided to go it alone with his best friends Zak Hajjaj and Kayum Miah. The three friends, who call themselves Kids of the Colony, travelled to Bangladesh, Morocco and the self-declared republic of Somaliland to learn about their cultural heritage and showcase their experiences on their YouTube channel – racking up millions of views on social media.

As the son of conservative Chinese parents Tony Wu never felt like he fitted in growing up in the US. He loved everything about the ocean but his parents discouraged any connection to it and Tony pursued a successful career in finance. But in every spare moment Tony immersed himself in the ocean, especially diving and underwater photography. After a near-death encounter with a sperm whale, Tony took an award-winning photo and left his corporate job to become a full-time photographer, conservationist and National Geographic Explorer. Tony Wu spoke to Outlook's Emily Naylor.

Presenter: Mobeen Azhar
Producer: May Cameron

Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707

(Photo: Kids of the Colony. Credit: Henry Harte)

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41 minutes

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  • Wed 19 Feb 2025 12:06GMT
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