When the IWMF selected Fellows for its first-ever reporting trip to Central African Republic, we were thrilled to have such a skilled group of reporters join our African Great Lakes Reporting Initiative. They came from across the globe, and their work had taken them to places like Syria, Sudan, Libya, and Burundi. 

They spoke French, they covered underreported narratives…and when we were forced to cancel our trip to CAR, we wanted to offer them an equally strong opportunity to report from the Great Lakes region. 

So we pivoted, planning a last-minute trip to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. And after a scramble to get visas through five different embassies, our group is finally on the ground in Goma.

Now, the real adventure begins…

Our Fellows will complete three days of HEFAT training alongside 20 Congolese journalists. They will go on to cover a range of stories around Eastern DRC, with base locations in Goma and Beni. 

We know their reporting on economic development, culture, health, and local governance will be worth watching and waiting for, building on our work to shine light on this beautiful, fascinating, and deeply undercovered part of the world.