The Agenda 2063 Africa Photojournalism Project, in line with both the Africa’s Development Strategy Agenda 2063 and the African Union 2021 Theme “Arts, Culture and Heritage: Levers for Building the Africa We Work” aimed to inspire photo journalists from all across the continent to share powerful images telling Africa’s story from an African perspective and to also capacitate journalists by providing them with training to enhance their craft and storytelling ability through the use of imagery. The 4 activities undertaken in this project are:
1. Agenda 2063 Women’s Photojournalism Award: which recognized and celebrated outstanding female journalists whose submission of African images was defined by categories defined by the Goals and Aspirations of Agenda 2063. The competition received over 200 entries across the competition criteria, which were:
– Agriculture, rural environment, land rights and skill development
– Regional economic integration, transport and information infrastructure.
– Good governance: human rights, justice and rule of law.
– Silencing the guns in Africa: conflict prevention, transformation and mediation.
– Youth and Women
– Democracy and Digitalization.
– Africa’s young research excellence and innovative solution building
2. Agenda 2063 Photojournalism Training: Online learning modules on photojournalism courses such as storytelling, documentary production and legal and ethical photojournalism were made available for free to 100 women journalists. The call for entries received over 150 applications and after a thorough review, 95 were selected to take the following photojournalism courses:
– Storytelling through photo essays
– Documentary and Photojournalism production.
– Legal and ethical aspects of photojournalism.
3. Podcasts: A podcast series for citizenry and media engagement was developed.
4. Research and a research regarding lived experiences of photojournalists documenting Mediation / Conflict resolution, peace keeping and peace building initiatives in Africa championed in line with Aspiration 4 of Agenda 2063 and the Flagship Project of Silencing the Guns is ongoing.
Profiles of Photojournalism Award Winners
- We have Vanessa Chebet, (Kenya) the winner of the Regional economic integration, transport and information structure category is a journalist who has worked with the Standard Media Group for the past six (6) years. She has a passion forn telling stories through video production, writing short pieces and photography. She studied Linguistics, Media and Communication at Moi University. She has a strong bias for digital journalism and currently works at Standard Media Group.
- Safiyya Muhamma Ali-Daba, (Nigerian) the winner of the Agriculture, rural environment, land rights and skills development category is an Echo Artist and a techie. Safiyya enjoys using technology and using her skills to contribute to her community towards promoting peace via social media and advocating for women and girls by teaching them how to use the technology. She gets inspired by how accepting society is of technology which stimulates her creativity and desire to learn more.
- Fardosa Hussein, (Somalia) the winner of our Youth and women, Africa’s research excellence innovative solution building category is a documentary and Humanitarian photographer based in Somalia. Her work ranges from covering humanitarian crises, gender issues, and climate change to everyday life in Somalia. She is currently a member at Women Photograph. And highly inspired by the works of Farah Nosh – an Iraqi Canadian photojournalist.
- Arlette Bashizi, (Congo) the winner of our Good governance: Human rights, justice and rule of law Category is a documentary photographer; born in the Democratic Republic of the Republic of Congo. Currently she is based in the city of Goma. She started working on various projects and projects and reports from 2018. To perfect her passion for photography, in 2019 she will attend a photography training at CAMME organization. Arlette covers the social life of her country, while showing a positive image of her community. Her angle of is any issue related to women and youth, this in order to value them by giving them a very important by giving them a very important place in the community. She is a contributor to the project “Congo in Conversation” project by photojournalist Finbarr O’reilly, winner of the 11th Carmignac Prize for photojournalism dedicated to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Her work was also exhibited at the 2020 Visa pour l’image Festival in Perpignan, France.
- Watsemba Miriam (Uganda) the winner of the Silencing the guns in Africa: conflict prevention and transformation, mediation Category is a documentary photojournalist based in Uganda with a background in journalism and Communication. A multiple time grantee who has published and exhibited both locally and internationally. Through her work, she seeks to archive the truth and provoke action. Miriam is also the 2020 winner of the Migration and Mobility Category for the AWiM20 PitchZone Awards.
- Shirah Paul Mukama, (Uganda) the winner of Democracy and digitalization category is an amateur photographer in Uganda who is really enthusiastic about photography. She follows the work of Ethiopian journalist Martha Tadese and started out taking pictures at home and with the encouragement of her husband ventured into the outside world to tell stories about Uganda. Her dream is to improve her skills to produce even more outstanding works.
