By ‘Dayo Farore
Kenyan Journalist, Fatuma Noor on Saturday, June 25, 2011 grabbed the ‘General News Award‘ for print at the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist 2011 Awards Ceremony. The event’s Gala which held at the Sandton Sun Hotel, Johannesburg in South Africa featured the 27 finalists from 13 countries including Fatuma.
Fatuma Noor, who works for ‘The Star Kenya‘, won for her investigative three part series on the ‘Al-Shabaab’, which was chosen from among 1407 entries from 42 nations across the African continent. The series tells the story of the young men who give up their freedom abroad to return and fight for the ‘Al-Shabaab’ in one of the world’s most dangerous places on earth, ‘Somalia’.
Speaking on the award, Fatuma Noor said, ‘I want to thank my mum and my boss Catherine, who believed in me when no one else did. There was a time in my life when I thought about giving up, but with this Award I’m not giving up any time soon‘.
Also Nigerian journalist Oluwatoyosi Ogunseye of Sunday Punch, grabbed the ‘MSD Health & Medical Award‘ for her work ‘Luth’s Ransome – Kuti’s Children’s Centre‘.
This year marked the 16th edition of the event with sponsors such as; African Development Bank, Coca-Cola Africa, Ecobank, IPP Media, Ericcson, Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD), Research In Motion (RIM), South African Tourism and A24 Media.
Other Recipients Are As Follows:
Television – General News
News Bulletin Award,
by Farouk Kayondo (of UBC, Uganda)
For: Watching In The Hood
Television – General News
Feature/Current Affairs Award,
by Lindile Mpanza (of e.tv, South Africa)
For: Silence of the Innocents
Sport Award
by Kamau Mutunga (of DN2 Magazine/Daily Nation, Kenya)
For: Soccer and Superstition (Animal body parts and snake blood on the pitch)
Radio General News Award
by. Melini Moses (of SABC, South Africa)
For: Hillbrow – Den of Iniquity
Tourism Award
by Benon Herbert Oluka (of Daily Monitor, Uganda)
For: Why Ugandians would rather watch goat races than visit their national parks or heritage sites
Portuguese Language General News Award
by Selma Marivate (of TV Miramar, Mozambique)
For: O Movimento Rastafari em Mocambique
Mohamed Amin Photographic Award
by Norman Katende (freelancer for The New Vision, Uganda)
For: When Death Strikes
MSD Health & Medical Award
by Oluwatoyosi Ogunseye (of Sunday Punch, Nigeria)
For: Luth’s Ransome – Kuti’s Children’s Centre
HIV/AIDS Reporting In Africa Award
by Beryl Ooro (of K24 TV, Kenya)
For: HIV Infection among senior citizens in Kenya
Free Press Africa Award
by Mahamud Abdi Jama (of Waaheen Media, Somalia)
Francophone General News Award: TV/Radio
by Claudine Efao Atohoun (of ORTB, Benin)
For: Le vrai pouvoir des castes
Environment Award
by Lamia Hassan (of Business Today Egypt, Egypt)
For: Washed Up
Economics & Business Award
by Sylvia Chebet and Kimani Githae (of Citizen TV, Kenya)
For: An uphill task
Digital Journalism Award
by The Dispatch Online team on behalf of ‘The Daily Dispatch’ in South Africa
For: Failed Futures
Arts & Culture Award
by Kofi Akpabi (freelancer for Daily Graphic, Ghana)
For: What is right with Akpeteshie?
Photo Credit: Hayaan Media
