On February 6th, 2024, regional convenors, primarily responsible for organizing media science cafés outside of the capital Kampala, were invited to the Health Journalists Network headquarters in Kamokya.
The training aimed to facilitate face-to-face meetings with regional convenors, some of whom had not been met in person before, and to gather insights into their challenges and work methods. It also provided an opportunity to discuss operational procedures and explore potential improvements.
The training session ran from 8 am to 1 pm, followed by a media science café, allowing regional convenors to observe the monthly café format used in Kampala compared to their regional practices. A significant disparity emerged: while cafés in Kampala occur monthly, those in the regions are limited to once a year due to funding constraints.
Regional convenors are tasked with various responsibilities, including selecting café topics relevant to their regions, inviting speakers, mobilizing journalists to attend, and compiling comprehensive reports encompassing discussion outcomes and resultant stories. Unlike in Kampala, where cafés last approximately three hours, regional events span an entire day, affording ample time for engagement. Additionally, regional convenors have the flexibility to utilize local languages.
Facilitated by HEJNU president Esther Nakkazi and upcountry mobilizer Namiganda Jael, the meeting drew nine convenors representing the Eastern, Southern, Northern, and Eastern regions.
ATTENDANCE LIST
MASAKA (Southern Region)
- Malik Fahad
- Buyondo Davis
MBARARA (Western Region)
- Annita Mastika
- Kinene Edson
- Akampa Gilbert
GULU (Northern Region)
- John Okot
- David Okema
SOROTI (Eastern Region)
- Ogulei John
- Emmy Demolu
Objectives of the Training:
- Understand the challenges faced in organizing cafes in their respective regions and brainstorm solutions for smoother operations.
- Recognize the benefits and accomplishments of the café model for enhanced reporting and storytelling.
- Highlight the advantages of hosting cafes in regional contexts and the importance of incorporating local languages.
- Discuss the conveners’ expectations from HEJNU and identify key takeaways.
Expectations from Conveners:
- Explore ways to increase the frequency of upcountry cafes to quarterly sessions, fostering consistent engagement and information dissemination.
- Gain insight into HEJNU’s focus areas for health reporting in the upcoming year.
- Develop tools and databases to empower journalists with essential resources for effective reporting.
- Advocate for more funding to support frequent café sessions, ensuring sustained interest and relevance.
- Learn the process of applying for grants for story coverage and generating topic ideas aligned with regional needs.
- Strategize on engaging journalists who do not regularly attend cafes and integrating them into the network.
- Address the challenge of maintaining vibrant health reporting post-cafe sessions.
- Identify opportunities to cover diverse health topics relevant to their regions with HEJNU funding.
- Understand the scope of HEJNU’s activities beyond HIV and explore potential collaborations with stakeholders.
- Establish partnerships with stakeholders in areas such as reproductive health and road safety for funding opportunities.
Advantages of Using Local Languages in Cafes:
- Facilitates comprehension of scientific terminology, enhancing communication between experts and journalists.
- Simplifies the expression of community issues, ensuring clarity and understanding among the audience.
- Enables journalists to select appropriate language for broader audience reach and effective communication.
- Builds trust and confidence between experts, journalists, and the community, fostering collaboration and understanding.
- Fosters unity and identity among participants, promoting inclusivity and shared cultural understanding.
- Boosts confidence and self-esteem among journalists, leading to more effective reporting.
- Enhances accuracy and effectiveness in reporting, ensuring information is communicated clearly and concisely.
Areas for Improvement:
- Increase the frequency of upcountry cafes to provide journalists with more information and create greater awareness in communities.
- Develop a comprehensive database of sources and stakeholders to streamline access and collaboration.
- Extend the duration of upcountry cafes to allow for deeper understanding and engagement with topics.
- Expand participant numbers to promote diversity in story angles and perspectives.
- Provide supporting documents from HEJNU to facilitate journalist access to information and experts.
- Allocate funding for in-depth reporting and research on critical health issues.
- Conduct training sessions for upcountry journalists to enhance their skills in science reporting and storytelling.