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Media needs more female voices
Abaas Mpindi’s Media Challenge Academy trains young journalists. Photo by Godfrey Lugaaju
What you need to know:
- THE KNIGHT. Abaas Mpindi is the CEO Media Challenge Initiative, a youth non-profit driven venture building the next generation of journalists and storytellers through mentorship, practical training and experiential peer to peer learning, writes Godfrey Lugaaju.
What do you pride yourself in?
I’m a big thinker and a free spirited person who is very passionate about women issues; rights and helping young people achieve their dreams. I know young people tend to underestimate themselves yet they are the architects of society and I’m set to prove this to them.
What are some of these issues?
There are different issues that range from not educating the girl child, health issues and sexual harassment. Many people believe in stereotypes that make women more vulnerable.
ty and equality. I strongly believe in creating platforms that offer equal opportunities for men and women in any society.
What are you doing to change this?
I have organised essay writing and photography competitions highlighting the dangers of the phenomenon to change mind-sets of the offenders.
I also promote gender sensitive reporting in the Media Challenge Academy which I believe will address the problem. We are also developing a dialogue tool kit to help discuss gender sensitivity in universities.
We also take in more women in our academy recruitments compared to men so we can have more female journalists in mainstream media.
Do you feel this will solve the problem?
For us to say we are creating the next generation, we look at empowering female journalists. With more female editors and reporters, we will have less sexual objectification in the media about women that promotes gender stereotypes. Media needs more female voices to see this fulfilled. It is a process which I’m sure is very achievable.
Tell me about the Media Challenge Academy?
It is an accelerator programme that creates space to equip young people with skills that they struggle to get at universities that have limited resources. We train young people how to develop confidence, create solutions to problems and also have a mentorship programme. They learn and thrive from their mistakes while learning from each other. It is basically a platform for talent exposure of future journalists. We are basically placed between the University and the job market but we do not close doors to those who wish to join from other institutions.
Five years down the road, how has the journey been?
It has been tough; I lost count of the times I could give up and get on it again. We have had much support from universities, government, students among other people who believe in us pushing for better journalism. Amidst the challenges, it has been a great experience with the enormous lives we have changed.
Share some of your achievements in this field
I’m proud to say that most of our trainees have been taken up by the leading media houses in the country; to me this is big credit because they are able to fly our flag high. Also, in the various Inter-university Media Challenges we hold every year, we get to connect our trainees to potential employers who come through to identify and source for fresh talent.
What do you hope for the future?
I grew up with a mental attitudementality of being a problem solver. I hope to change young people’s mentality and make them better journalists. I know the future is bright for it has been God from day one and He still is.
What does it take to manage a media initiative?
Commitment and passion. I could have given up countless times, but there is that passion and drive that keeps me going. You need to have relationships and networks, experience, skills to share and the urge to sacrifice above all.
What would you do differently with your life if you were not running the Media Challenge Initiative?
I have two masters’ degrees, one in international development and the other in international relations and diplomatic studies. I think I would be a foreign relations officer in some embassy or doing International development work.
Quick bits
Are you married?
No, I believe marriage has to happen but it has not yet happened on my side.
Is it because you fear commitments?
No, I have just not yet found someone to commit to.
Who would be the ideal woman?
I never want to categorise women that way because I do not know who is ideal and who is not. It can be anyone as long as they are good.
Tell me about your family.
I was raised in Fort-Portal by two single women, my mother and grandmother, but both died when I was still in school. From then, I was brought up by my uncle Mr John Magezi who is responsible for what I am today and I am grateful to him.
