The first Gambians to have been selected to attend the Chevening Africa Media Freedom Fellowship (CAMFF) programme have joined their colleagues from ten other countries in London. They are Baboucarr Camara – a managing editor at the Gambia Radio & Television Services and Sang Mendy – the Managing Director of the Media Academy for Journalism and Communication-MAJaC.
The fellowship programme is designed and implemented by the British government for mid- professionals from Africa with demonstrable leadership skills in their fields of expertise. The 23 participants from two cohorts (2020/2021) are drawn from 11 Sub-Saharan African countries including The Gambia, South Africa, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Uganda, Malawi, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Burundi, South Sudan and Zimbabwe.
The compacted eight-week programme will examine New Media for a New Africa looking into critical areas such as freedom of speech, economic prosperity and governance. The Fellowship hosted by the University of Westminister and funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office will also combine professional development of the values of good journalism to better make reporting more effective and to use new ways to enhance its reach and impact.
In the next two months, the Chevening fellows will undertake the vigorous exchange of evidence-based policy debates, share practical experience, attend seminars and deliver talks on international issues as well as embark on fieldwork and research work. Both Messer Mendy and Camara are expected back in the Gambia in July upon completion of the programme.
