By Moses Nyirenda

Lilongwe, May 10, Mana: Wash Media Forum newly elected Chairperson, Meclina Chirwa has challenged journalists to cover more stories about Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) if the challenges affecting the country’s WASH sector are to be addressed.

She made the remarks on in her acceptance speech for the Chairpersonship role during Wash Media Forum Annual General Meeting (AGM) which held on Thursday at Cross Roads Hotel in Lilongwe with support from Water and Environmental Sanitation Network (WESNET).

Chirwa said that journalists in the country have critical role to play in exploring challenges concerning WASH in communities so that they should be addressed.

“The issue to do with WASH is a big challenge in the country and we are remaining behind in terms of monetary support or even commitment of stakeholders and government, so as journalist we have a big role to play to explore the WASH challenges that people are facing in the communities.

“We have to ensure that people in rural communities are well assisted, there are gaps between the urban and the rural areas in terms of water supply so it is our role to ensure that there is equal access to WASH services for both urban and rural areas,” Chirwa noted.

She promised to be committed to encouraging journalists especially those who are the members of Wash Media Forum to ignite their interest in covering WASH stories.

“We will ensure that all members in the forum should be committed, they should not just be members by just a name but they should be passionate about their work so that we can serve the country,” the Chairperson said.

WESNET Executive Director, Willies Mwandira, said that journalists in the country have been vital in lobbying government to make better policies aimed at enhancing the country’s WASH sector.

“In past journalists managed to advocate for key sector issues in water and sanitation and those issues managed to influence even government to change some of the policy directions.

“Even this newly instituted Ministry of Water and Sanitation, it is something to say the media did a lot of advocacy work to ensure that this ministry comes to place,” he acknowledged.

He said his organization was keen to supporting journalists with resources through Wash Media Forum in order for them to cover more stories that would help to transform the country’s WASH sector.

Wash Media Forum was established in 2009 with a mission to promote and advocate issues about WASH through the use of media.