Five journalists short-listed for Forestry Accountability Journalism Initiative in Malawi
Five journalists have been shortlisted for the third cohort of Forestry Accountability Journalism Initiative in Malawi, a joint programme by AEJ and Modern Cooking for Healthy Forests.
Board member of the Association of Environmental Journalists Dr. Yanira Ntupanyama and Principal Secretary retired receives a copy of the second FAJIM Dossier titled “Sounding the Alarm” from Malawi’s Anti-Corruption Bureau, Deputy Director, Elia Bodole (Photo - Association of Environmental Journalists in Malawi)
LILONGWE, Malawi (Planet Defence) - The Association of Environmental Journalists (AEJ) under Forestry Accountability Journalism Initiative in Malawi(FAJIM) announced selected names of scribes whose pitches have been assessed and approved as eligible for the third cohort of the programme.
FAJIM is a partnership programme pioneered by AEJ and the USAID and UKaid co-funded Modern Cooking for Healthy Forests (MCHF) project in Malawi which is implemented by Tetra Tech.
MCHF is designed to promote sustainable forest management in select landscapes and alternative energy options in select urban demand centers to maintain forest cover and reduce land-based emissions.
By increasing the demand for alternative and efficient energy options and technologies, and the supply of sustainable wood fuels from well-managed forest resources, MCHF will help Malawi reduce unsustainable tree cutting in both public and customary forests, improve forest cover, and conserve associated watersheds.
The scribe initiative offers hands on field opportunity for practicing journalists to deep dive into forestry governance and enforcement issues. This also includes investigating challenges rocking the sector, expose them for appropriate remedial actions to be taken by authorities.
Five journalists have qualified to receive FAJIM grants. The names of the selected journalists are as follows ;Winston Mwale and Tionge Hara both of the online publication Africa Brief, Rose Chipumphula of Montfort Media, Kelvin Temboof Capital Radio and Bernard Kakhono of the Malawi Broadcasting Cooporation.
The selected journalists including their editors are expected to undergo orientation session to be conducted by the Association of Environmental Journalists, Modern Cooking for Healthy Forests and Lilongwe Wildlife Trust.
TheAEJ/FAJIM initiative and partnership the first of its kind in the forestry sector is open to all journalists to pitch investigative stories as part of monitoring forestry governance issues in Malawi