BACCS student’s winning streak in media excellence

Students at the University of Malawi regularly participate in various competitions to showcase their skills and demonstrate the practical application of knowledge gained during their studies. As a testament to diligence, creativity, and proficiency in mobile journalism, a final-year Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Cultural Studies student, Miss Tinnah Kumwenda, was on 15th November, 2023 announced as one of the three winners in a competition conducted through the Young Mobile Journalism (YoMoJo) program.

With delight, Miss Kumwenda explained that YoMoJo is a program under Voice of Accountability (VOA) - Kulondoloza, which trained 28 youths, each from every district in the country, in mobile journalism. She further explained that the program focuses on training youths to report on various issues, especially those related to corruption and public finance management, using their phones.

The journey of being a participant in YoMoJo began when Miss Kumwenda discovered the program through the Kulondoloza Facebook page. There, she learned about the YoMoJo initiative, and applicants were invited to submit an audio, video, or written essay explaining their vision for the future of Malawi. Leveraging the public speaking skills she had acquired, Miss Kumwenda submitted a captivating audio in which she eloquently expressed her desire to see Malawi restored to its beautiful natural vegetation. Impressed by her submission, the judges selected Miss Kumwenda emerged as one of the 28 participants who qualified for the YoMoJo program.

She further stated that after being selected among the 28 youths, they underwent training held in Lilongwe, starting on August 21, 2022. On the final day of training, all participants were provided with a phone and given a four-hour window to produce a story about Public Finance Management anywhere in Lilongwe.

“With the media writing skills obtained at UNIMA, I came up with a brilliant news idea, and my story stood out among all the submissions. Considering that people with disabilities also pay taxes, I crafted a story focusing on the inclusion of people with disabilities in sporting activities. I impressed the judges with my video editing skills, audio balancing, and the overall flow of the news. As a result, I emerged as the winner, and my story secured the first position. I was awarded K500,000 and a certificate of recognition,” she stated.

She further continued that the competition did not end on the final day of training. Participants were requested to produce news stories within their localities about Public Finance Management, and three winning participants were selected from every region. Miss Kumwenda kept excelling, winning three times as her stories consistently emerged among the best, earning her 15,000 for each story.

“I am immensely grateful to the University of Malawi for providing me with the opportunity to attend this training. Despite attending numerous meetings in Lilongwe while school was in progress, every time I consulted my department, there was no hesitation, and they provided all the support I needed, including extending my assignment due dates. I also conducted other stories here at UNIMA, and I extend my gratitude to other departments, such as the Economics Department, for warmly welcoming me every time I needed to conduct interviews,” expressed Miss Kumwenda.

As one of the best participants recognized for her outstanding performance, Miss Kumwenda has been selected to take part in the Media Task Force program under the same Voice of Accountability. In this program, she participates in monthly meetings with notable journalists in the industry from prominent media houses like MBC, Zodiak, Times, among others, where they discuss various issues and produce news stories.