Colin Lloyd
First stop: Gaborone, Botswana
Dr. Mbuyo, the Director of Botswana’s Ministry of Health opened the course. We also had many speakers and contributors who also added to the quality and credibility of the workshop. As malaria is only prevalent in the north of the country we included some sessions relating to TB and HIV/AIDS.
Along with a good crop of guest speakers, Mary Raine, a 30 year veteran of the BBC World Service, dropped by to work with the participants. She just happened to be in town developing a set of health broadcasting guidelines for Botswana Television and Radio Botswana.
Added to all this were two field trips: one to a children’s hospital and research centre, and one to a community outreach programme.
At the evening reception on Wednesday, there was a lively debate on malaria and health reporting with comments and issues raised by local and national media editors and programme managers as well as the workshop participants.
The programme is designed to give the participants ample opportunities for interviews and information that they can incorporate into their end of course "idea pitches".
Though some complained of the hard work and the shear volume of information packed into the five days, there seemed a sense of accomplishment along with a lot of relieved and genuine smiles when Mr. Bapasi Mphusu, Director of Information Services for Botswana, passed out the completion certificates at the end of the course.
Sechele Sechele, a former editor of a newspaper in Botswana, was our local facilitator. He was responsible for organising the field trips, and inviting the participants and the guest speakers. | |
Next up: the Gambia
My co-trainer, Angela Dawson and I were looking forward to this one as our local coordinating organisation, the Centre for Innovation against Malaria (CIAM), were doing quit a bit of ground work leading up to this workshop.
The course was held at the Sare Birom Hall at the Baobab Lodge. A place close enough to the centre of town but isolated enough so the participants were not obliged to visit their places of work during lunches and coffees/teas.
The guests were good, the field trips were interesting, and the reception, sponsored by the local British High Commission, and hosted by the British High Commissioner, was well attended.
The participants did quite well on the Knowledge test and the end of course "idea pitch" presentation. | |
Finally: Nairobi, Kenya
Angela and I had a lot of additional work to do when we arrived in Nairobi.
There were some good guest presentations including those from Impact Malaria, and a terrific hands-on demonstration hosted by the representatives from Population Services International (PSI).
Workshop participants had their hands full impregnating insecticide into mosquito bed-nets by mixing the solution, and dipping and drying the nets.
Most course participants did well on the malaria knowledge test, and most seemed encouraged to push for more malaria related stories in the media. This was also the case, in fact, for participants in the Gambia and Botswana.
All our former course participants are now signed up to the health and media listserv.
Having made some major changes for the workshops in Botswana, Gambia, and Kenya, after the first couple Malaria and the Media courses in Tanzania and Malawi,
I feel the dedication and hard work by all who are involved is noticeable and is paying off. We are now looking ahead to the workshops in Cameroon and Mozambique and making some small refinements to the curriculum along with some changes in the participant selection process. | |
Faith Gikunda, journalist, People Daily News, Kenya
"It is with great pleasure that I want to let you know that I enjoyed the Malaria and the Media workshop that was held recently in Nairobi. It has really helped me to understand the disease. It has also given me the urge to join the rest of the world as we campaign for a malaria free environment.
The sessions were very well co-ordinated especially the involvement of team and group work. This made the subjects of discussion lighter and more fun. The last day during the presentations was the "BOMB" where strong terms like "Trickle Down" and Bootle-Neck" were discussed. I was also glad to learn that I can eat mangoes and still be malaria free.
By organising similar workshops, I am sure that the global fight against malaria will be a dream come true. KEEP IT UP!!" | |  | | | | | |  | | | Gambia: participants interview specialists at the Centre for Innovation against malaria. | |  | | | Botswana: participants take end of course knowledge test. | |  | | | Kenya: participants try their hand at mosquito "bed-net dipping". | |  | | | Gambia: British High Commissioner for Gambia greets participants at a mid-week reception. | |  | | | Botswana: participant presents health programme "pitch". | |  | | | Botswana: guest providing feedback for programme "pitch" presentation. |
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