We were from different countries, cultures and creeds.
We liked different foods and music, and sipped on different drinks.
There were many differences among the 24 journalists participating in the 50th Training Course for Young African Journalists. We struggled at times to understand one another, but one language we all spoke was journalism.
Organised by the Union of African Journalists, together with Egypt’s Supreme Council for Media Regulation, the course gave journalists an opportunity to bond with some of their African colleagues.
Francesca Villette “walks like an Egyptian” as she visits the Great Pyramid of Giza, one of the wonders of this fascinating country.
Over the course of three weeks, and based in Cairo, we got to understand more about media freedom in various countries and explore hot topics. Though they differ, our newsroom set-ups are much the same; we all have reporters, subs and news conferences.
Various lectures covered topics such as fighting corruption, economic resources in Africa, renewable energy, and tools in foreign policy.
A man with his camel, which he uses for tours at the Great Pyramid of Giza.
Following a round-table discussion on education in Africa, we got to present proposals. Our suggestions included making education accessible for the girl child, giving priority to entrepreneurial and vocational studies, establishing anti-corruption institutions to ensure progress, and working together to make free education a reality for all who need it.
Facilitated by experts in the various fields, we were allowed to openly discuss the challenges we face as journalists in covering the issues. How wonderful it was to be able to talk about world issues with people at the coalface.
We also attended lectures at the American University in Cairo. The Department of Journalism and Mass Communication hosted us, and lectures included research in print media, and media analytics in the digital age.
The course also exposed us to some of Egypt’s rich history and technological advances. We visited the pyramids, the Egyptian Museum, Coptic Cairo, and cruised the Nile.
We got to learn about the Suez Canal and New Suez Canal, and the Egyptian Media Production City. And we
visited the NileSat and Smart Village. If it sounds like a lot, it was.
Often we had 14-hour days, so our excursions on the weekends were welcome. We visited Hurghada one weekend and took advantage of the beautiful Red Sea and the hotel pool.
The next weekend we were in Alexandria, breathing in the Mediterranean Sea and talking through the stacks at Bibliotheca Alexandrina.
With the course now in its 25th year, the organisers know exactly how to enrich lives. It started taking journalists in 1992, running two courses a year, in May and November.
Thank you, Union of African Journalists and the Supreme Council for Media Regulation for the life-changing opportunity.
Thank you for bringing us together to talk about issues, and giving us the platform to work on bringing change where there is injustice.