Malawian journalist to head climate change regional body

By LUCKY MKANDAWIRE

A seasoned Malawian female journalist has been elected to lead a climate change continental media body in Southern Africa.

Malawian journalist Sellina Sheena Nkowani

Sellina Sheena Nkowani, Online Sub-editor for Nation Publications Limited was elected as regional coordinator responsible for Southern Africa for the newly launched Pan African Media Alliance for Climate Change (PAMACC).

The media alliance was created at the end of a two-day capacity building training workshop for 41 journalists, who report on climate change issues from across the continent that converged in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi this week.

PAMACC is a continental network of journalists across Africa whose objective is to promote media coverage and reporting of climate change stories.

Nkowani was unanimously elected by delegates from Southern African nations of Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Swaziland and Malawi who were part of the workshop.

Reacting to her election, Nkowani told Nyasa Times she was excited that her colleagues entrusted her with such a big and challenging position.

“I accept it with honour and pledge to work with media professionals who are passionate about tackling issues of climate change. It's challenging but I also believe that together, as media professionals, we can and we will make it happen,” she told Nyasa Times in an email interview.

Nkowani also pledged to encourage more women participation in climate change reporting considering that women and children were the most hit by effects of climate change.

“It is only right and proper that more women tell stories about fellow women. Apart from that, it is high time that African journalists start telling stories of climate change from the African perspective and share experiences and information with journalists from other countries," explained Nkowani, a former section editor for Blantyre Newspapers Limited.

The Malawian journalist is one of the five regional coordinators elected to head the body in each African region- North, Central, East, West and Southern Africa.

All the five will be reporting to the continental coordinator, a prominent Kenyan environmental journalist, Isaiah Esipisu, who is based in Nairobi.

Nkowani said one of her responsibilities as regional coordinator is to champion formation of vibrant national media networks in Southern African countries.

At the end of the training, the journalists were treated to a magnificent gala night where some deserving African journalists were honoured.

Malawi’s Zodiak Broadcasting Station journalist, Grace Khombe, was among the finalists for the ACCER awards but according to Nkowani her environmental special report piece titled Deforestation compromising school feeding programme in Chiradzulu failed to win and she was only given a certificate of recognition for reaching the finals.

The two-day workshop was organised by the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) a continental coalition of civil society organisations that aims at unifying isolated civil society efforts on climate change advocacy and coordination in Africa.