TO INSPIRE MY COMMUNITY THROUGH MY JOURNALISTIC ACHIEVEMENTS
Date Published: 7/06/2023
I am a 23 years old Kenyan and I have been offered a place at the University of Kent, UK, to study a master's degree course in International Multimedia Journalism, starting on the 16th of September 2023. The fee for this program is GBP 18,600 and I have been able to raise most of this amount, however, I still have a deficit of GBP 8,000 in order to cover my entire tuition fee. I also need funds to help cover accommodation and other study materials.
My passion for investigation, writing, and storytelling instigated me to pursue journalism as a career choice. I’ve always believed stories can inspire change, and this has been my biggest motivation in this career. I wanted to source and present stories that people could relate to, so I started doing human interest stories and I chose to work with the local communities because they are the heart of these stories. I realized from my community projects while working with CBOs and NGOs that everyone has a story to tell, and in-depth coverage of these stories puts the ‘human face’ on a news story. An ongoing case in a Kenyan court following a story I covered and shared of a 14 year old girl who was abused sexually by a senior citizen has positively impacted my community’s’ outlook on handling sexual violence cases.
Stories about politics and economics often get the focus while human interest stories are underrated. Research on’ How African Media Covers Africa’ done in 2020 by Moky Makura, a Nigerian-born South African journalist, revealed that Africans are drawn to human interest stories, and with Kenya being her focus, she explained how this is the growing trend. Her report also factually stated that 81% of the stories in African media outlets were classified as “hard news” e.g. conflicts and crises-driven events, and political stories, of which 13% focused exclusively on political violence, civil unrest, and armed conflict. Shockingly, 35% of these stories originated from non-African media outlets or news agencies. I found this to be rather unfortunate and therefore decided to exercise my mandate as an agenda-setter on African stories.
I wanted to be a Kenyan journalist working with local communities to present stories with an emotional approach to stir up a reaction that could consequently lead to positive action, but I’ve come to realize that my role is not only limited to Kenya. Africa has so many stories to offer, most of which are overlooked or distorted. As a continent, we are in the process of reinvention and it is critical for everyone in the region to understand this. I want to be on the frontline, actively promoting African stories, in an African way; without the stereotypes.
I want to impact the vulnerable across the continent, therefore I need to acquire knowledge, skills, and a wider understanding of the international community. With international multimedia journalism, I see an opportunity where I can use the knowledge and understanding that I’ve gained to gather and analyze stories from my country and other countries and present them on a transnational scale - hence also widening the scope of my goal, which is to be a voice to the voiceless and vulnerable persons in the local communities through my stories. I also chose this program because I hope to gain skills to present stories on multiple media platforms instead of depending on traditional journalism which is mainly presented through broadcast and print.
I’m driven by the compulsion to be an inspiration to women (young and old) in my community. I wish to show them that even a small-town girl from humble beginnings can have big dreams and work her way up to them. I have grown up in a community where teenage pregnancies and dropping out of school are the norm. As the eldest daughter of a pastor, I know that my younger sister together with most if not all the girls from my church look up to me and I want to live up to their expectations. I want to set the bar so high that it instigates their courage and determination to reach that level
My journey is still far from over and while I may not know where it will lead me, I’m certain that I will make the most out of every opportunity, not by striving to be the best, but by striving to do my best, and I will use whatever challenges I’m met with as stepping stones and I will always appreciate everyone who supports me in any way so as to fulfill my wish. Many thanks to those who believe in my dream and for the support you provide.
My passion for investigation, writing, and storytelling instigated me to pursue journalism as a career choice. I’ve always believed stories can inspire change, and this has been my biggest motivation in this career. I wanted to source and present stories that people could relate to, so I started doing human interest stories and I chose to work with the local communities because they are the heart of these stories. I realized from my community projects while working with CBOs and NGOs that everyone has a story to tell, and in-depth coverage of these stories puts the ‘human face’ on a news story. An ongoing case in a Kenyan court following a story I covered and shared of a 14 year old girl who was abused sexually by a senior citizen has positively impacted my community’s’ outlook on handling sexual violence cases.
Stories about politics and economics often get the focus while human interest stories are underrated. Research on’ How African Media Covers Africa’ done in 2020 by Moky Makura, a Nigerian-born South African journalist, revealed that Africans are drawn to human interest stories, and with Kenya being her focus, she explained how this is the growing trend. Her report also factually stated that 81% of the stories in African media outlets were classified as “hard news” e.g. conflicts and crises-driven events, and political stories, of which 13% focused exclusively on political violence, civil unrest, and armed conflict. Shockingly, 35% of these stories originated from non-African media outlets or news agencies. I found this to be rather unfortunate and therefore decided to exercise my mandate as an agenda-setter on African stories.
I wanted to be a Kenyan journalist working with local communities to present stories with an emotional approach to stir up a reaction that could consequently lead to positive action, but I’ve come to realize that my role is not only limited to Kenya. Africa has so many stories to offer, most of which are overlooked or distorted. As a continent, we are in the process of reinvention and it is critical for everyone in the region to understand this. I want to be on the frontline, actively promoting African stories, in an African way; without the stereotypes.
I want to impact the vulnerable across the continent, therefore I need to acquire knowledge, skills, and a wider understanding of the international community. With international multimedia journalism, I see an opportunity where I can use the knowledge and understanding that I’ve gained to gather and analyze stories from my country and other countries and present them on a transnational scale - hence also widening the scope of my goal, which is to be a voice to the voiceless and vulnerable persons in the local communities through my stories. I also chose this program because I hope to gain skills to present stories on multiple media platforms instead of depending on traditional journalism which is mainly presented through broadcast and print.
I’m driven by the compulsion to be an inspiration to women (young and old) in my community. I wish to show them that even a small-town girl from humble beginnings can have big dreams and work her way up to them. I have grown up in a community where teenage pregnancies and dropping out of school are the norm. As the eldest daughter of a pastor, I know that my younger sister together with most if not all the girls from my church look up to me and I want to live up to their expectations. I want to set the bar so high that it instigates their courage and determination to reach that level
My journey is still far from over and while I may not know where it will lead me, I’m certain that I will make the most out of every opportunity, not by striving to be the best, but by striving to do my best, and I will use whatever challenges I’m met with as stepping stones and I will always appreciate everyone who supports me in any way so as to fulfill my wish. Many thanks to those who believe in my dream and for the support you provide.
