#AWiM21 Pitch Zone received pitches from incredible media women all over the continent. It is our pleasure to profile Sarah Mawerere, a Ugandan Journalist who won the ‘Science and technology – Enhancing outer space science studies, activities and facilities in Africa’  Category. Read more about Sarah below

Tell us/the readers about yourself, your education, job, interests and what you do for fun 

I am Sarah Mawerere; I work at Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC) as Content Producer-Radio. Currently, I am pursuing a Masters Degree in Monitoring and Evaluation at Uganda Management Institute. I hold a Bachelors Degree in Social Work and Social Administration-Makerere the University, A Diploma in Social Work-Nsamizi Training Institute for Social Development, a Diploma in Mass Communication-Institute of Mass Communication and a Certificate of Environmental Journalism- Makerere University. Additionally, I have trained in many media areas, including Gender, Science and Development.

My job interest lies in content gathering and scripting, then working with the presenters as my team.

For fun, I like travelling and touring

What was your inspiration for the story that won the award? Why did you pitch in that particular category?

On the category of Science and Technology that I won, I was inspired that accurate and timely seasonal/ farming and weather information is vital to the farmers since I have seen it work in pilot areas in Uganda. Being the backbone, farming is essential to our economies, and it is where we derive our livelihoods. Therefore, by Improving Weather Information Management through applying relevant Information and Communications Technology to predict weather patterns, farmers could cultivate their fields early enough or take the correct measures to avoid losses. Dissemination of such information to the farmers appropriately using technologies can improve their yields, increasing incomes and food. I am inspired to tell such stories using Radio.

How did you feel when you found out about your winning? 

I was so excited to have won on this science and technology category that most female journalists do not go into so much.

What was the most exciting or best thing about this story?

If African governments and other agencies worked together to explore and improve weather/seasonal information and target all the farmers, livelihoods would improve.

What challenges do you expect to face when working on this story?

It is accessing experts and locating farmers in remote areas that have used such information in their farming activities. And some of the service providers may not be readily available.

What support do women journalists need to produce similar stories?

Women Journalists need financial support in the form of grants to do such stories. Training and capacity building on such areas and appreciating science and technology for development.

What advice would you give other journalists seeking to produce similar stories?

To pitch on stories that matter to Africa, contact some of us to share how best to pitch and write or report on some of these areas.

What advice do you wish you had been given before you pitched this story and before you started working on it?

To consider how the story matters and to always look for the uniqueness in the story and or something new in the story.

After working on this story, what lessons/tips are you taking with you?

A story is as good as having content that matters to communities or society. Then most importantly, about Africa We Want –The Agenda 2063, which focuses on the areas I am to report the story for Africa’s Development.

Did the pitch zone award make any difference in how you executed this story or in your ability and intention to work on this story?

I think it remained as was.

What is a quote that inspires you?

The Africa We Want-Agenda 2063

Who is an African journalist/ media woman that inspires you, and why?

Nancy Kacungira of BBC inspires me most for handling Business beat at BBC, yet business is taken as a male-dominated beat. And being a Ugandan female Journalist, she inspires me that I will also one day be known globally like her.