Dozen Young African Catholic Journalists Appreciate SIGNIS-Sponsored Training

Dozen Young African Catholic Journalists Appreciate SIGNIS-Sponsored Training

CANAA || By Father Don Bosco Onyalla, Nairobi || 31 October 2016

Some 12 young African Catholic journalists have expressed appreciation for the opportunity of receiving training in Nairobi on engaging the media for peace building, calling it a “fruitful workshop.”

“The workshop has pushed us out of our comfort zones to explore areas such as: script writing, presenting, recording which includes: video recording, editing, to name but a few, to produce videos of substance that can assist in creating awareness for the need for peace and justice in our communities and the world at large,” the participants at the training have said in a collective message sent to CANAA.

SIGNIS partnered with Bosco Eastern Africa Multimedia Services (BEAMS) for the 10-day training, which concluded last Friday, October 28.

SIGNIS, World Catholic Association for Communication, exists “to engage with media professionals and support Catholic communicators to help transform our cultures in the light of the Gospel by promoting human dignity, justice and reconciliation.”

The training brought together the dozen participants from nine African countries, which included Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

“This fruitful workshop has rekindled the passion within us to do more for the church, a heartfelt thank you goes to SIGNIS for this wonderful opportunity,” the youthful African journalists have stated in their collective message under the hashtag: “#TEAMCOMMLABAFRICA2016”.

Below is the full text of the message by the participants at the training under “#TEAMCOMMLABAFRICA2016”

SIGNIS CommunicatonLab 2016, DBYES Nairobi

With great enthusiasm and immense anticipation, 12 participants from, Kenya, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Uganda, Ghana, Ethiopia and Nigeria, gathered at the Don Bosco Youth Educational Services (DBYES) at Karen, Nairobi, Kenya where they underwent a 10-day training from Oct. 17^th to 28^th 2016 on Peace building through the use of media. The Workshop, organized by SIGNIS in partnership with Bosco Eastern Africa Multimedia Services (BEAMS), was facilitated by Rev. Fr. Sebastian Koladiyil SDB; Mr. Larry Rich, Mr. Eugene Wirba and SIGNIS CommLab Ambassador Mr. Lawrence Mberi.

As young Catholic Journalists with various expertise in various fields of the media, we were all eager to learn and improve what we already knew and learn as much as we can in order to leave with skills we never had. The workshop has pushed us out of our comfort zones to explore areas such as: script writing, presenting, recording which includes: video recording, editing, to name but a few, to produce videos of substance that can assist in creating awareness for the need for peace and justice in our communities and the world at large.

 During the thorough preparation conducted by our facilitators we were able to prepare three productions which were:

• Interviewing one of the staff of the Don Bosco Youth Educational Centre
• A documentary on the Bosco Boys School Kuwinda
• A documentary of one of the children (Former street kid) at the Bosco Boys Langata, a center for vulnerable children.

These allowed us all to explore our creativity and abilities and learn from the guidance we received from our facilitators to do better and lift the standards for the next production. Other areas we focused on were the social teachings of the Catholic Church, an area that inspires us to be ambassadors for the Kingdom and help the church to see its goals, which is to unite people and to enable them to cooperate with God’s plan, through the media.

This workshop was also an opportunity for us to interact and sensitize ourselves with the issues around our communities which identifies the need for communicators to get the message across and to assist those who are in need. For many of us the encounter we had with the Bosco Boys served as an eye opener and we remain appreciative of the Salesians of Don Bosco for the phenomenal work they are doing with the boys, perhaps something we can introduce in our communities back home.

With the experience grasped from this 10 day training we can all attest that there is a need for workshops such as this. We as VJ’S of SIGNIS are all encouraged to get involved with our communities in creating awareness, and to contribute in making a difference in the lives of others as Pope Francis said “Communication has the power to build bridges, to enable encounter and inclusion, and thus to enrich society.”

We are appreciative of SIGNIS for the opportunity and as we continue to work together striving towards a common goal, Mother Teresa reminds us, “I can do things you cannot; you can do things I cannot. Together we can do great things”.

This fruitful workshop has rekindled the passion within us to do more for the church, a heartfelt thank you goes to SIGNIS for this wonderful opportunity.

#TEAMCOMMLABAFRICA2016

By: Emma Mulwa, Namibia