A new topic for Afghan journalists – and a creative way to teach it! On 22nd of May 2012, Mediothek Mediahouse Nangahar successfully finished the first workshop on Child Reporting. The two day training was conducted in cooperation with the international NGO Save the Children.
The goal was to introduce the lives of and challenges for Afghan children – who make up 50% of all Afghans – as an important social and political topic for media to report on, provide a solid knowledge base as well as the journalistic skills needed.
18 journalists from Nangahar province attended, among them 7 women. Trainer was Christine Roehrs, a German journalist and Save the Children’s media manager.
On the first day of the training – following Mediothek’s “Summer Academy” concept – experts from Save the Children held lectures on a range of child related topics and discussed with the participants. The journalists gained insights in issues such as child rights and Islam, malnutrition, education concepts and challenges, violence against children, early marriage, or street working children.
On the second day, the journalists met experts from other local and international institutions in the field in order to broaden research opportunities. They were also introduced to the Child Rights Convention and learnt how to interview children. The workshop concluded with the foundation of the first Child Reporting Network. Further joint trainings will take place in Kabul and Mazar.
