By Robert Nayeja

Nsanje, May 13, Mana: Malawi Human Rights Resource Centre (MHRRC) Executive Director, Emma Kaliya, has said community journalists are key in fighting inequalities in the country.

Kaliya was speaking on Monday at Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS) in Blantyre during a two-day training for community journalists from Nsanje.

She said the media has the capacity to drive people to actively participate in developments happening in their communities.

“Community journalist will be sharing with the public stories that are happening in their communities including tracking implementation of service charter by those in authority.

“Previously, when we did not have social media it was difficult to follow on what is happening the other side of the nation,” she said.

Kaliya said community journalist will also trigger implementation of developments in their communities.

She added that it is for this reason that the organization has decided to impart community journalist with skills to report effectively on various issues including fighting inequalities in society.

Nsanje District Commissioner, Dominic Mwandira, said the training is timely as a lot of developments are happening in the district but there is very little knowledge to communities on such activities.

He said the community journalists will help to amplify the voice of the communities.

“We are implementing a lot of activities that need to be publicized. We are glad that these journalists will help to report on such kind of developmental activities taking place in their localities.

“The community journalists give a platform to communities on issues affecting them since they are in all traditional leaders. I, therefore, urge them to be honest and strike the balance in their reporting,” he said.

Mwandira hailed MHRRC for the training assuring the media of the council’s support towards creating a favourable working environment for the media to thrive.

MHRRC with support from Norwegian Church Aid and Danish Church Aid - Malawi joint programme is implementing a three-year project on enhancing citizen voices and action in local governance and development processes.

The project aims at fighting inequalities through enhanced pro-poor budgeting allocation and expenditure in the sectors of health, education and social protection in Ntchisi, Dowa and Nsanje districts.