“This internship has given me a rare chance to better prepare as I step into the real media world,”  says Evarist Mapesa,one of five young graduate journalists attending a three-month internship facilitated by Internews in Tanzania under the Boresha Habari project. 

Working from the Internews Media Resource Centre, the interns have since early February undergone a refresher course in radio journalism, and learned about social media, podcasting, videography and photography. Amin Suwedi, the social media trainer believes, “These skills will make them more competent in today’s journalism profession which needs multi-skilled players.”

The interns settled on a radio magazine format to package a weekly program Mikiki Mikiki (or Hustles) to reflect the struggles of youth to earn a living and make ends meet and inspire them to take advantage of available opportunities. The radio program will be offered for broadcast to 19 community radio stations working in partnership with Boresha Habari.

Thobias Robert, holder of a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from University of Dar es Salaam, says the internship has made him understand better the challenges of the profession and ways to tackle them. “Practicing what I was learning in the university for the last three years has been an eye opener.” 

Faidha Ngaga, holding a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication from the University of Dar es Salaam School of Journalism and Mass Communication, learned the advantage of teamwork in producing quality radio, “I never knew that a single program can involve several producers. This works great as long as everyone knows what to do.”

Flora Ngahyoma, also a graduate from University of Dar es Salaam School of Journalism and Mass Communication who contributed to the program through a collection of vox-pops and helping on the feature segment, is happy with a “profession that fits into my passion for reading and getting to know new people.”

The editor and mentor Harrison Kisaka, a former lecturer at Sainte Augustine University of Tanzania (SAUT), is proud of his team. “They love what they are doing and if I point out a mistake and ask them to redo the assignment, they take it positively.”
As they work on more programs, the Boresha Habari interns are looking forward to feedback from the audience as Mikiki Mikiki hits the airwaves of the community radio partners. The internship program will benefit 20 journalism students this year.

Internews’ project in Tanzania, Boresha Habari, is funded by USAID, and implemented in partnership with FHI 360.

Harrison Kisaka is an editor for Internews in Tanzania.

(Banner photo: Boresha Habari Intern Faidha Ngaga interviewing youths in Dar es Salaam street. Credit Internews)