Deadline Extended: Central African Republic (CAR) and Rwanda Reporting Fellowships

IWMF OPPORTUNITIES | APPLICATIONS OPEN FOR NOVEMBER 2017 REPORTING TRIPS TO CAR AND RWANDA

DSC_0676 copyThe IWMF is pleased to announce we are accepting applications for two reporting trip locations in November: the Central African Republic (CAR) and Rwanda. From November 5-18, two groups of six women journalists will report from CAR on issues related to the impact of humanitarian aid and from Rwanda on technology and economic development. All Fellows will begin their trip in Nairobi, Kenya, where they will complete comprehensive security training and an orientation about the African Great Lakes region.

The online applications to take part in these trips will be open immediately through September 1.

These reporting fellowships are part of the IWMF’s African Great Lakes Reporting Initiative, created in 2014 to support women journalists committed to pursuing stories that go beyond well-established narratives of political instability, armed conflicts, and humanitarian crises in the Great Lakes region of Africa. To date, 152 IWMF-supported journalists have covered a wide range of under-reported stories on topics including rural development, conservation, and the impact of aid. Their work has been published and aired by leading media outlets around the world.

During the next two years, the IWMF will continue to lead groups of women journalists to CAR, the DRC, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. By 2019, more than 250 reporters will contribute to covering critical narratives in the region.

ONLINE APPLICATIONS FOR TRIPS:

The IWMF will accept online applications until September 1.

Central African Republic (CAR) Reporting trip: click here

Rwanda reporting trip: click here

REPORTING TRIP DATES:

CAR and Rwanda: November 5-18, 2017

REPORTING TRIP THEMES:

Central African Republic (CAR): The Impact of Humanitarian Aid

Rwanda: Technology and Economic Development

REPORTING TRIP LOCATIONS

The trip to CAR will be based in Bangui. The trip to Rwanda will be based in Kigali. Travel outside these base locations will be limited by the IWMF security protocols and assessed on a case-by-case basis. Applicants should plan their story pitches in accordance with messaged locations.

SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT CAR REPORTING TRIP:

Applicants for the IWMF’s CAR reporting trip must have prior experience reporting in a hostile environment, and will preferably have experience in Africa’s Great Lakes region. Applicants must be comfortable working in a high-risk environment. The IWMF reserves the right to postpone or cancel a reporting trip based on adverse security conditions. Applicants must be fluent in French due to the lack of English-speaking fixers and interpreters in CAR.

TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS AND EXPENSES:

The IWMF arranges travel and in-country logistics for all Fellows. 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, but fellows living outside the U.S. are responsible for procuring all necessary visas.

ELIGIBILITY:

Applicants must be affiliated or freelance women journalists with at least three years of professional experience in journalism working in print, broadcast, or digital media. All nationalities are welcome to apply. Fellows must have excellent written and verbal English skills in order to fully participate in and benefit from the program. Applicants must be able to demonstrate support from an editor or have a proven track record of publication in prominent media outlets.

ABOUT THE IWMF

The IWMF is dedicated to strengthening the role of women journalists worldwide. The media is not truly free and representative without the equal voice of women. Since 1990, we have celebrated the courage of women journalists who overcome threats and oppression to report and bear witness to global issues. Through our programs and grants we empower women journalists with the training, opportunities, and support to become leaders in the news industry.

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About the African Great Lakes Reporting Initiative