The IWMF is now accepting applications for two Reporting Fellowships, set to take place in February 2017. As part of the African Great Lakes Reporting Initiative, one group of six journalists will report on rural and economic development from Mwanza, northern Tanzania. Concurrently, a second group of six journalists will cover civic engagement in Kigali, Rwanda.

The coverage of new and under-reported narratives is a cornerstone of the Great Lakes program. To date, 75 journalists from 16 countries have pursued a wide range of stories that go beyond the well-established beats of political instability, armed conflicts, and humanitarian crisis in the region. Their work has been aired and published by leading media outlets around the world.

Between 2015-2018, the IWMF will continue to lead groups of women journalists to the Central African Republic (CAR), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. By 2019, more than 250 reporters will have together reshaped traditional media narratives about the region.

FELLOWSHIP DATES:

February 17 – 28, 2017

ABOUT THE REPORTING TRIP TO TANZANIA AND RWANDA:

Both groups of reporting Fellows will begin their trip in Nairobi, Kenya, where they will complete orientation and a three-day Hostile Environments and First Aid Training (HEFAT) February 17 – 19. Fellows then depart for eight days of in-country reporting February 20 – 28 from Mwanza (northern Tanzania Reporting Fellowship) or Kigali (Rwanda Reporting Fellowship), where they will have the opportunity to network with other journalists, report independently and collaboratively with their peers, and gain access to a variety of sources and sites related to their reporting.

TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS AND EXPENSES:

The IWMF arranges travel and in-country logistics for all Fellows within the scope of the Fellowship base location and trip dates. The IWMF also covers Fellowship-related costs within the framework of the reporting trip including travel, lodging, meals, and fixers/interpreters, unless a selected journalist’s news organization wishes to assume these costs. Visa costs will also be covered. Fellows living outside the U.S. are responsible for procuring all necessary visas, for which they will be reimbursed at the conclusion of the Fellowship.

ELIGIBILITY

• Affiliated or freelance women journalists with three (3) or more years of professional experience working in news media. Internships do not count toward professional experience.
• Women journalists of all nationalities are welcome to apply.
• Non-native English speakers must have excellent written and verbal English skills in order to fully participate in and benefit from the program.
• Applicant must be able to show proof of interest from an editor or have a proven track record of publication in prominent media outlets.

Before submitting an application, journalists are encouraged to review the application criteria and frequently asked questions (FAQs).

APPLICATION:

The IWMF will accept online applications from November 14 – December 6, 2016.

Have questions about the application process? Want to hear from IWMF Fellows about their experiences on the ground? We’re hosting a Twitter chat on November 30! Follow @IWMF and include #IWMFfellow to join the conversation.

Apply to Tanzania reporting trip HERE

Apply to Rwanda reporting trip HERE

Read also:
Application Guidelines
FAQs
Reshaping the Narrative: Fellows’ Stories from the African Great Lakes Region

KQED (NPR) Radio Producer Irene Noguchi in Rwanda, 2015

Abena Agyeman-Fisher interviewing in Tanzania, June 2015

British journalist Hannah McNeish and Chinese journalist Zhang Han in Bagamoyo, June 2015