MFWA Climate Change Journalism Fellowship Programme for young West African Journalists

Application Deadline: September 30, 2022.

The MFWA is commencing a regional climate change journalism fellowship programme for young enterprising journalists in the region. The first group of journalists for this programme will be in fellowship from October 2022  to March 2023.

The Fellowship will afford the selected journalists the opportunity to strengthen their capacity and to produce critical, fact-based, and in-depth reports on climate change-related issues. The maiden edition of the Fellowship is being implemented with funding support from Deutsche Welle Akademie.

Eligibility Requirements:

The opportunity is open to journalists from the following countries: Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Niger, Togo, Benin, Guinea, and Mali. 

Applicant must be:

• Between the ages of 25 to 35 years on or before the application deadline;
• Proficient in reading, writing, and speaking English or French. Francophone applicants must have a working knowledge of English.
• Available for full participation in the fellowship virtually as well as residentially in Accra, Ghana to attend training and assignments from October 2022, to March 2023;
• Willing to commit to a six-month fellowship programme, involving three months of virtual training and three months of residential training in Accra, Ghana.

Fellowship Details:

The Fellowship will be both residential and non-residential. For the first three (3) months (October to December), fellows will work remotely from their home countries with oversight supervision from assigned mentors/editors. They will participate in virtual training workshops, seminars, and speaking engagements with high-profile personalities including climate change experts and be assigned field projects to produce stories.

The final three (3) months (January to March 2023) will be residential.  Fellows outside Ghana will travel to the country to work directly with the MFWA’s public interest and accountability projects – The Fourth Estate and Fact-Check Ghana. Fellows will go through in-person training workshops, and also produce investigative pieces highlighting issues around climate change.

By the end of the six months, each fellow is expected to produce at least two significant stories on climate change. Fellows will also receive a certificate of participation.

Benefits

• Training and mentorship opportunities
• Monthly stipend and data allowance

Selection Criteria

• The ability to work cooperatively in diverse groups and to respect the opinions of others;
• Strong social and communication skills;
• An energetic, positive attitude; and
• A demonstrated knowledge of, interest in, or professional experience in climate-related matters

Application Procedure:

• Interested applicants must fill out the fellowship application form.
• The application form requires an applicant to submit a statement of interest stating why they want to participate in the fellowship (maximum of 350 words), a CV including two referees, and a copy of any national identification.
• The deadline for the application is September 30, 2022.

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the MFWA Climate Change Journalism Fellowship in West Africa