Durban — Fifteen days, six caravans, six countries ... 160 young people from all over the world gathered in Nairobi, Kenya, to begin the journey of a lifetime. The African Youth Initiative on Climate Change (AYICC) took it upon themselves to plan for this caravan in 2010. The emerging journalists travelled through Africa headed for the climate change conference in Durban, talking to ordinary people along the way about their experiences of climate change as they gathered material for stories – and even interacting through song and dance. They had concerts including African singers who were also part of the caravan team, also managing to include talks to spread the word of climate change in the communities where they stopped, speaking about the effects and how to live a sustainable life.
Among the youth were five up-and-coming journalists from five different African countries. Audrey Wabwire from Nairobi is a producer for radio production house Well Told Story Ltc. She has also previously worked as a news reporter with Radio Waumini and as a writer for the Africa Media Service.
Lily Mengesha from Addis Ababa is the founding member of the Ethiopian Environmental Journalists Association as well as children's charity, the Light for Generation Association. Tina Ogbonna from Lagos, Nigeria, is a member of the Nigeria Federation of Science Journalists, the New Science Journalism Project and also freelances with CNN ireport.
Bernice Atabong from Ebolowa, Cameroon, has been a reporter and broadcaster for Cameroun Radio and Television (CRTV) since 2006 and previously worked with Radio Television Siantou and at the Cameroon Tribune. She has been involved in environmental awareness activities and youth empowerment throughout her career. Youssouphe Bodian from Dakar, Senegal, is a correspondent for Future Radio Media in Fatick.
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Watching these young journalists share their experiences about travelling on the caravan made me really admire them, especially seeing as they are so young and have had the chance to travel right across Africa and meet all types of people, gaining knowledge of the different cultures as per country.
“Indeed it was a great experience as we saw the effects of climate change firsthand,” said Lily Mengesha."I call myself an environmental journalist but until now I really did not know enough about how to do that job."
The more these journalists spoke, they made me realize that I do not know much about my Africa - the day-to-day experiences that African people go through to make ends meet. And now there is a new factor: the weather is changing and most farmers cannot farm, hence the hunger that exists in many communities. Many cannot afford to send their children to school as there has been not enough rain to produce enough maize to sell for profit.
I was very moved by watching the video that Bernice Atabong had prepared, showing young people who have had to migrate from their rural homes to the city just so that they can work and get money to feed their families.
The experience of meeting these journalists has opened my eyes about two issues I thought I already knew a lot about: journalism and climate change.
