23 November 2009
Liberian Journalist D. Emmanuel Wheinyue was Thursday among three African journalists' recipients of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) "Good News for Africa Competition Award" for promoting positive news of the continent.
The winners of the Good News for Africa competition were announced today at the ongoing IFRC's General Assembly at the United Nations Plaza in Nairobi, Kenya.
Journalist Wheinyue of Star Radio Liberia, second place winner of the competition won the award for a radio story "Blind Carpenter" which highlighted the success story of a blind carpenter who has built a thriving small business and also supports other disabled people to develop their own skills.
The piece conveys a simple and powerful message that disabled people, although many times rejected by communities, are not passive victims. IFRC received 55 entries from nine different African countries for the competition. The topics varied from climate change, agriculture and food security to education, health, economics and politics.
"The submissions we received, show that there really are countless positive stories to tell about Africa. There exist solutions and strengths at community level which can and need to be highlighted," said Ibrahim Ousman, IFRC deputy secretary general and head of the competition's jury.
The Good News for Africa competition was originally launched in October 2008 at the Red Cross Red Crescent Pan African Conference in Johannesburg, South Africa. It was launched in response to research commissioned by the IFRC that confirmed that too often, western decision makers and media emphasize negative stories about Africa.
"Africa continues to face huge challenges which have to be analyzed and solutions need to be found. But at the same time, we believe that these solutions are the true seeds of development and they must be celebrated. I would like to congratulate all journalists who participated in this competition, for publishing success stories and hence believing in Africa," said Alasan Senghore, director of the IFRC's Africa Zone.
All entries that were considered for the competition had been published between 1 November 2008 and 1 November 2009 in a newspaper, periodical or news service in Africa. The other two winners included first place Journalist Kristin Palitza of the Mail & Guardian of South Africa for her article "Gardening For Life."
The article shows how small-scale farmers can improve their own food security and financial stability. With support, communities can take control and generate proper income from farming that sustains their families.
The third place winner, Journalist Millicent Nthoki Mwololo of the The Living Magazine for Daily Nation, Kenya also won the prize from the publication of an Article "Good Tidings Come Early This Year." The article highlighted Kenya's successful battle to beat malaria through a government-led effort to distribute mosquito nets which have contributed to a staggering 44 per cent drop in malaria-related child deaths. A simple, low-cost approach has saved an estimated 15,000 lives in Kenya.
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