Draufsicht Bamenda Begins Executing Community Journalism Project

 Draufsicht Bamenda Begins Executing Community Journalism Project

"The Community Development Project has as objective to strengthen structures for effective peace journalism involving local communities in reporting events around them." Dzebam Godlove Ayaba Bongnwa, the Coordinator of Draufsicht Bamenda made the disclosure to Mbengwi Online during a one day group meeting held at Church Centre Bamenda, Saturday January 23 2021 aimed at kick starting the execution phase of the German government sponsored project.

The project directly targets sixty persons (25 females and 35 males) amongst whom shall be 30 journalists, 22 young persons, 10 community leaders and indirectly the entire population of the North West Region during which activities like capacity building workshops, media and film productions shall be realised. The coordinator added that at the end of the project, they have as goal to see into it that community journalists can be able to use conflict sensitive language and non violent communication with empathy as central part of their work.

Participants Pose for Family Photo 

Preceding the business of the day was a situational analysis session during which attendees shared opinions on how the Anglophone Crisis has affected their profession both negatively and positively, ending up with proposals on how to overcome the challenges. From the various experiences shared, the recurrent ones were kidnaps, threats, fear, trauma, censorship, power cuts, harassments, lockdown, inaccessibility to news or work areas and sources just to name these few.

As a way forward to overcome such, participants proposed that personal security measures be implored based on the realities of one's surroundings, more training workshops be organised, networking, proper dress code, non abuse of information extracted from sources and diversification of sources of income to make ends meet. 

Dzebam Godlove, Coordinator Draufsicht Bamenda

The effects of the crisis they affirmed haven't only been negative. Positively, some cited participation in more training and knowledge acquisition workshops, exposure to external media outlets, financial gains, more networking and that a stronger bond now exists amongst colleagues of the profession than before. In doing an exposition on Skills and Competencies in Hostile Environment Awareness Training (H.E.A.T), Madam Akah Rosaline Obah as facilitator schooled the participants through group work on practical techniques to stay away from harm's way. 

The dynamics of the journalism profession in the North West Region have been changing as a new trend of student journalists mingling with practicing journalists especially at workshops is being noticed and growing. It wasn't as such before. The Draufsicht Bamenda meeting in the build up to the execution of the Community Journalism project also had student journalists in attendance. 

Training Session 

Tantan Patience and Neba Jerome are both Level 400 students of the Communication and Development Studies Department of the University of Bamenda. To the former, it's a good practice mixing those undergoing studies and those already practicing because many students graduate and go into the field without any experience, confidence and familiarity with the senior ones. In her own words, "Such a practice is going to make the media a place to be as the early acquaintance and understanding creates a cordial environment for journalism"

To the latter, Jerome, doubling as President of the Communication and Development Studies Department, "It's a good initiative for juniors to mingle with professionals so that before graduating, they would've mastered what's required of them in the field. Considering that school lessons are more of theory, such opportunities give room for the student journalists to ask questions to the senior practitioners"  He beckoned on future journalism training workshop organisers to always include student journalists on their list of invited participants like Draufsicht Bamenda and the Cameroon Community Media Network (CCMN) have been doing to help them in the practical part of the profession. He ended by revealing that in the months ahead, his department will also be organising similar trainings during which some of the old brooms in the profession will be invited to come lecture the students on campus on as he put it, "What they need to know before graduation and what's expected of them upon graduation"

Group Work

The one day meeting was also facilitated via teleconferencing by Mr. Ernest Suiru Fai, a researcher at the Protestant University of Central Africa, Yaounde with speciality in the proliferation of small arms and light weapons. Draufsicht Bamenda is an organisation that carries out global education with the objective of using local solutions to global problems, a process they term "Glocalisation" targeting young adults below 30 who are expected to think globally but act locally. The organisation's coordinator, Dzebam Godlove is a teacher at Early Childhood Education Centre, Bamenda and also a trainer in non violent commutation