International award-winning Nigerian journalist, Patrick Egwu and two colleagues, Annie Njanja (Kenya) and Mamadou Lamine Ba (Senegal) have emerged winners of the 2019 Hostwriter Story Prize for Journalism collaboration.
With a cross-border story on Female Genital Mutilation in Nigeria, Kenya and Senegal they were named second-place winners with 1000 euros prize grant in Berlin, Germany on Wednesday.
The first-place winners who won 2000 euros grant are Ludovica Jona (Italy), Giacomo Zandonini (Italy), Petra Sorge (Germany), Caitlin Chandler (Germany) and Chris Jones (United Kingdom)
The winners of the Pitch Prize category which attracts – €1000 prize are Margherita Bettoni (Italy) and Cecilia Anesi (Italy) for Cocaine Ports and Abhaya Raj Joshi (Nepal) and Monika Pronczuk (Poland) for The Train to Poland.
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Commenting of the story by Egwu and his colleagues, judges for the award said it is a “Very worthy topic.” adding that the interlinkage of FGM and socioeconomic issues is well reported: e.g., providing cutters with alternative livelihoods reduces FGM.”
The Egwu team won the Hostwriter Pitch Prize last year.
“ No better way to end the year. Let’s do more in 2020, “ Egwu stated in his Facebook post in reaction to the award.
Hostwriter is an open network that helps journalists to easily collaborate across borders and connect more than 4,600 journalists from 150+ countries to seek and offer help, whether in the form of local advice, story collaboration or accommodation.
It sees cross-border journalism as a tool to overcome national bias and prejudice, ultimately contributing towards better informed, more accountable and democratic societies.
€5000 in prize money is donated by the Otto Sprenger Stiftung. The foundation honors the work of German journalist Otto Sprenger, a former unionist and employee of the German public service broadcaster NDR, who was committed to supporting young journalists, collaboration and social engagement.