13 African journalists are among the 49 mentees selected for the Solutions Journalism Network (SJN) 2021 mentorship programme.
On the list are five journalists from Nigeria, two from Kenya, another two from Zimbabwe and one each from Rwanda, South Africa, Cameroon and Malawi.
While announcing the mentees, Julia Hotz, the Communities Manager for the Solutions Journalism Network stated that the 49 mentees were competitively selected journalists from around the world.
She explained that the fellowship aims at expanding the journalism skills and experience of the mentees to enable them to report solutions succinctly.
“The Solutions Journalism Network is thrilled to announce the third class of journalists participating in its annual mentorship program.
“From Brazil to Zimbabwe, Cameroon to Singapore, this year’s cohort of 49 competitively selected journalists hails from around the globe, each bringing unique expertise and lived experience to a year focused on developing solutions reporting skills.”
The journalists, who are expected to produce at least one solutions story before the end of 2021, were divided into eight smaller sub-cohorts.
Two of the cohorts, the Wangari Maathai cohort and the Tawakkol Karman cohort are basically for the 13 African journalists.
The Wangari Maathai cohort consists of seven journalists based in Africa, who are passionate about reporting on responses advancing climate and social justice while the Tawakkol Karman cohort consist of the remaining six African journalists, who are committed to telling solutions stories that uplift the health and human rights of the communities where they live.
Meet the Wangari Maathai cohort members
Chidindu Mmadu-Okoli (Aba, Nigeria) — Chidindu Mmadu-Okoli is a health communicator and freelance journalist with an academic background in medical laboratory science. Her stories span health, lifestyle, gender, precision agriculture and rural development, and have been published in Nigeria Health Watch, BusinessDay Weekender, Thrive Global, and more.
Daniel Sabiiti (Kigali, Rwanda) — Daniel Sabiiti is a journalist and a professional photographer, with degrees in philosophy, social science and developmental journalism. He is currently working as a photojournalist and senior reporter for Kigali Today (KT Press).
Dominic Kirui (Nairobi, Kenya) — Dominic Kirui is a freelance journalist and media trainer with seven years’ experience in both fields. He holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and has written and produced stories for local and international publications with a focus on replicable solutions.
Lungelo Ndhlovu (Bulawayo, Zimbabwe) — Lungelo Ndhlovu is an award-winning freelance journalist who specializes in news writing, photography and video production. He’s passionate about newswriting and has won many awards for his coverage of gender and sexual health and climate change.
Niyi Oyedeji (Abuja, Nigeria) — Niyi Oyedeji works as an investigative reporter, researcher and fact-checker with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR). His coverage encompasses education, health, environment, gender and development.
Sharon Munjenjema (Harare, Zimbabwe) — Sharon Munjenjema is a freelance journalist reporting on education, health, environment, climate change and other topics. Previously she wrote for the Global Press Journal as a part-time reporter, as well as for the Sunday Mail, a local state-owned weekly paper, to report general news and current affairs.
Uyapo Majahana (Johannesburg) — Uyapo Majahana is a freelance journalist passionate about connecting the dots between climate justice and social justice issues like migration, poverty, and children and women’s health and rights. His work has been featured in international publications such as Ours to Save, as well as local South African outlets, such as Inner-City Gazette.
Meet the the Tawakkol Karman cohort members
TAWAKKOL KARMAN COHORT: Innocent Kumchedwa (top left), Gideon Arinze Chijioke (top center), Bongben Leocadia Jisi (top right), Yecenu Sasetu (bottom left), Henix Obuchunju (bottom center), Ekpali Joseph Saint (bottom right) PHOTO CREDIT: Solutions Journalism Network.
This cohort comprises of journalists based in Africa, who are committed to telling solutions stories that uplift the health and human rights of the communities where they live. Like their namesake, the Yemeni journalist and Nobel laureate Tawakkol Karman, these journalists are bound by a mission to reduce suffering and violence.
Bongben Leocadia Jisi (Yaoundé, Cameroon) — Bongben Leocadia Jisi is a science journalist covering health, society and sports. After studying mass communication at the University of Maiduguri in Nigeria, she worked with the BBC language (Pidgin) online platform.
Gideon Arinze Chijioke (Enugu, Nigeria) — Gideon Arinze Chijioke is a freelance journalist reporting on climate change, environment, tax, global health, public procurement, small and medium-size enterprises, and conflict. His stories have appeared in the International Policy Digest, Ripples Nigeria, International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), The New Telegraph, Thisday, The African Exponent and more. He is currently an Open Contract Reporting Fellow with the ICIR.
Ekpali Joseph Saint (Nasarawa, Nigeria) — Ekpali Joseph Saint has been a journalist since his days as a university student, where he covered campus events. His work has appeared in national dailies, such as Vanguard and The Nation newspapers.
Henix Obuchunju (Nairobi, Kenya) — Henix Obuchunju is an award-winning radio journalist with additional skills in writing and video journalism and management. He currently works at Pamoja FM, the Voice of Kibra, Kenya, as a news editor.
Innocent Kumchedwa (Lilongwe, Malawi) — Innocent Kumchedwa is a multi-award-winning journalist who works as station manager for Yetu Community Radio of Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Malawi. He holds a bachelor’s degree in humanities from the University of Malawi, and his reporting has earned him nine local awards.
Yecenu Sasetu (New Karu, Nigeria) — Yecenu Sasetu is a news reporter with 99.9 Kiss FM, a radio station in Nigeria’s capital, where she covers health. She has received awards and nominations for her reporting on reproductive health, malnutrition and maternal mortality.