I take photographs and document memories: Moska Najib

Moska Najib is a long way from home. The daughter of executed Afghan President Mohammad Najibullah, now an Indian citizen, is ready to embark on a new journey. She is competing with 18 others (from 620,000 worldwide entries) to clinch the Best Job in the World, conducted by Tourism Australia. If she wins she will spend six months as a Lifestyle Photographer (Tourism Victoria) based in Melbourne. “In 2009, when Tourism Australia ran its first Best Job in the World campaign, I was producing a story for the BBC.

I wanted to challenge myself, but I couldn’t apply due to work commitments. This year, I decided to take the plunge. I was on a photography trip in West Bengal when I came across the campaign. I put together my 30-second video application in five days,” Moska says about her participating in this competition.

To make the cut, Moksa will compete in a series of challenges, including writing an article for Time Out Melbourne, clicking photos and sharing our experiences through social media. Photography came to her at an early age and she pursued the same through college and work life. “I love traveling and the best way to capture your memories is through photographs. Moments happen all around us all the time and I’m always ready for them, to take notes with my camera and capture them,” she explains.

If she wins the title, Moska will spend her time working with Time Out Melbourne and capturing the essence of Melbourne’s lifestyle. “I’ll be taking photographs of the city’s cafes, major festivals, music events and tourist activities, including surfing on the Great Ocean Road, skiing at Mount Hotham or meeting penguins at Philip Island. Winning this role would be a chance to work in the field I love and discover a new place through it. Every single day of this journey so far has been a great learning curve.”

About her journey and father, Moksa says, “I am one of many stories of the struggle Afghans have had. But ‘there is light at the end of the tunnel,’ and I think that opportunities like this is a reminder of the positive stories about Afghanistan. My father was a go-getter and if he was here today, he would be really proud of me. I’d like to think that he is here in this competition with me — in mind and in spirit!”