54th media training for young African journalists concludes in Egypt

The 54th media training session organized by The Union of African Journalists (UAJ) for young African journalists, last Friday concluded in the Egyptian capital, Cairo.

The three-weeks training brought together 25 media personnel from across the continent who participated in various topics that promote the enhancement of Africa through tackling issues faced by African journalists and the continent and finding solutions.

Participants came from The Gambia, Senegal, Kenya, Nigeria, Lesotho, Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, Sudan, South Sudan, Uganda, Morocco, Niger, Cameroon, Angola, Ivory Coast, Djibouti, and Egypt.

Spearheaded by the Union of African Journalists (UAJ), the training was also meant to train media practitioners on how to report on unionizing and strengthening the collaboration between African countries towards a common goal.

Ambassdor Maher Eladwy, representative of the Egyptian Foreign Affairs Ministry expressed delights for the partnership between Egypt and the rest of the African countries, saying that the training is important as it highlights the corporation and security matters amongst African countries and beyond.

He told participants that as young African journalists representing their continent, the most important thing is the need for them to have African media narrative that would collaborate and promote the ambitions and interests of African continent.

“We all know that we depend on outside sources for our media. During my tour as Ambassador in Liberia and Malawi, the major source of all of our African journalists will report from the UK, USA, France and other places,” he said.

According to him, what they are trying to do together is using the programme that started in 1977, to develop a common narrative for African journalists and the African region as a whole.

Mahfouz Al-Ansary, President of the Union of African Journalists (UAJ) said the annual training is meant to bring together Africans towards their common goal. “This kind of training will help to exchange experience and culture from different African countries,” he said, adding that it is also meant to solve the problems faced by African countries.

According to him, they are trying to collaborate with all the African countries to work towards the development of the continent.

Diaa Rashwan, head of Egypt Journalists Syndicate, also expressed hope that the training will give the participants the opportunity to engage their countries’ journalist unions to partner with UAJ for the promotion and development of the African media and the continent at large.