RPS works with the International Women's Media Foundation in Kenya

15 May 2016 - RPS Partnership

RPS is proud to be supporting the IWMF (International Women's Media Foundation) with its African Great Lakes Reporting Initiative, which was created in 2014, building on the success of earlier IWMF reporting trips to the Western Sahara and Eastern DR Congo (DRC). We have just returned from running security and first aid training with IWMF n Kenya.

Contact us for travel to Kenya and other regions of Africa. This week, we have consultants on the ground in Tunisia, Senegal, Mali and Libya. We can provide full support and training. Contact us on [email protected].

The IWMF designed this Great Lakes Reporting Initiative to support journalists interested in pursuing stories that go beyond the well-established path of political instability, armed conflicts, and humanitarian crisis in the region.

Between 2015 and 2018, the IWMF will lead groups of women journalists to the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda, and provide training and support for in-country journalists. These efforts include essential security training to help journalists stay safe in the field.

To date, 49 journalists have covered a wide range of under-reported issues including issues of empowerment, democracy, food security, and conservation efforts. Their work has been produced and published by leading media outlets around the world. The African Great Lakes Reporting Initiative is funded by a generous gift from the Howard G. Buffett Foundation.

Each reporting trip begins with security and first aid training and RPS has just finished assisting IWMF to run this training before they departed on their respective reporting trips. Take a look at our gallery to see snippets of the training.

RPS and IWMF ran the course together and taught the journalists how to save lives by training them to carry out life saving basic first aid skills. "Breathing and Bleeding" were supplemented by how to deal with severe trauma that they come across or experience whilst out reporting. Each journalist was put into realistic scenarios to ensure that their security and first aid skills were consolidated and that they could work safely. Everyone put in 100% and enjoyed themsleves as well. 

Journalists wishing to participate In The Initiative

As part of its African Great Lakes Reporting Initiative, the IWMF will lead eight trips to the region over the course of 2016.
If you are interested in participating in upcoming reporting trips, please review the application guidelines and frequently asked questions (FAQs) on the IWMF website.

The first three days of each reporting trip will consist of comprehensive security training and briefings by regional experts. Participating journalists will participate in one week of in-country independent reporting as well as group activities, and will have the opportunity to interact with key multi-sector stakeholders as well as local journalists. The IWMF pays for fellowship-related expenses including travel, lodging, meals and fixers/interpreters unless a selected journalist’s news organization wishes to assume these costs.

Application Guidelines

Applicants must be women journalists with at least 3 years professional experience in journalism. Journalists working in print, broadcast, or digital media, including freelancers, are eligible. Non-native English speakers must have excellent written and verbal English skills in order to fully participate in and benefit from the programme.

Contact us if you plan to travel to Africa in the coming weeks and let us advise and support you; whether you are a journalist, NGO or oil worker. We can assist you with training and planning. Contact us on [email protected] to see how we can assist you.

Photos: RPS Kenya