The project will target young journalists working with newspapers, magazines, online newspaper and community radios. Young journalists between 18-35 will be targeted during the implementation of the project. We will gather the young journalists train them on using the social media by having their own accounts and blogs-Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and a young journalists blog.
Many young journalists are not expose to the use social media by creating self-employment that is to be contracted by government ministries, departments, NGOs etc to manage their social media sites.
Topical focus:
Country:
What locality or neighborhood will your project focus on?
Serrekunbda
Describe the specific population with whom you will be working.
The project will train 20 young journalists on blogging, tweets, Google+ and other social media platforms. At the end of the training, young journalists will be linked with government ministries, departments and NGOs to understand the importance of role of journalists using the social media.
Many government departments, ministries and NGOs do not have Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ accounts or pages on their websites.
With the training, we believe that young journalists will have the opportunity to be contracted to work as Social Media Administrators by sharing information with the wide world. In this way, we believe that it will create job for them. They will blog on agriculture, human rights, gender using pictures and videos. Many of them do not have regular access to internet.
Who else will be on your team to help implement the project?
1- Nifty ICT Solutions, Managing Director Mr. Jalamang Jobarteh www.niftyict.com Facebook: Nifty ICT Solutions Twitter: @Niftyict
2- Gambia Press Union, President Mr. Emil Touray www.gambiapressunion.com34- Young 3- Journalists Association of The Gambia (YJAG) President Mr. Nfamara Jawneh Blog http://yjaggambia.blogspot.com Facebook: Young Journalists Association of The Gambia
4- Gambia News Online Blog, Publisher, Mr. Lamin Jahateh http://gambianewsonline.blogspot.com Facebook: Al Amin Jahateh
What kinds of news, stories and other content will be created?
Young journalists will be writing news items on gender based violence, human rights, media freedom, internet usage, agriculture, environment, climate change, water among other topics important to the local communities. Young journalists will use blogs and twitter to share news items and Goggle+ to share pictures and videos. The vision of the young journalists is to create job opportunities for sustainability of the project that is after the training, we will set up a platform for interaction and knowledge sharing.
Young journalists will also engage stakeholders to talk to them on the importance of using the social tools for publicity and also sharing viable information in The Gambia and beyond.
What technologies and digital tools do you plan to use in the trainings?
Describe the connections that you or your organization have already established or plan to establish that will contribute to the success of the project.
GYIN Gambia is a member of Global Youth Innovation Network International a global youth led and manage network that trains young peoples on entrepreneurship, innovation, agribusiness and leaders. The network has trained 20 journalists, bloggers and online reporters on blogging and tweeting. This project is intended to strengthening the existing relationship between partners and the network. Partners has been given support to the network to successfully implement past project activities and this upcoming project will also be implemented by partners by setting up project management committee. http://observer.gm/africa/gambia/article/gyin-gambia-chapter-signs-mou-with-visaca-apex
Session for journalists, bloggers and online reporters: http://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/article/gyin-gambia-orga
How many participants do you think will be trained in your project?
25 young journalists from newspapers, online, bloggers and community radios across the country. Invitation letters will be send to all the participants. Participants will first fill Monkey Survey in the survey, they will be ask to write motivation, brief background of their work, addresses and how can we maintain the sustainability of the project.
We will have a committee that will vet all the application forms of the participants and based on that participants will be confirm for participation in the project activities
Session post on a blog that the network has good partnership with: http://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/article/gyin-gambia-organises-session-for-journalists-others
Describe which technologies, tools, and media you will focus on when training participants.
We're partnering with professional bodies that have been organising trainings for journalists, youth, women groups etc. Gambia Press Union has been training several training for journalists, Nifty ICT Solutions core activities are Training, Software Development, ICT Support and Networking, Sale of Computers and Accessories, ICT Consulting.
Capacity enhancement for young people will be provided and community strengthening through the provision of Information, Communication and Technology equipments such as Laptops, IPADs, access to internet services (WIFI) to create a well informed cohort of young people for public empowerment. Nifty ICT Solution is also helping many journalists in the area of ICT and they are credited ICT providers and are working with other international partners.
Describe the facilities where you will hold the workshops.
Workshops, seminars and trainings will be held in our office and also outreach places- Community level to expose journalists to practical site reporting using the social media. Site visit will also be included in the project activities, conduct exclusive interviews, vox pox, and research.To implement the programme, GYIN Gambia need laptops, IPADs, USB Data Cards, one year inter connectivity Wifi for tracking the success of the project online and the work of the participants using the social media.
What is your current relationship with the community with whom you plan to work? What makes you the most appropriate individual or organization to implement this project?
Working with young journalists is something that can achieve positive results because this young journalists will one day rise to the position of becoming media heads, publishers and at this stage if they are form into a network and have co-ordial working relationship and sharing information using the social media they can effect great contribution in the social media revolution in the country.
What specific challenges do you expect to face when planning and implementing your project?
Selecting potential candidates for the training, because we are expecting to receive many applications. A good number of Gambian journalists are young, committed and focus oriented in their career.
Irregular electricity supply due to fuel shortage.
How will you measure and evaluate the project’s impact, specifically: your primary participants, the wider regional community, or the global digital community?
At the end of the training, we are expecting that participants will become “Training of Trainers” to conduct step-down training for other journalists, bloggers, online reporters using the social media.
Form a network to be call: Network of Social Media Activist (NoSMA).
If your project were to be selected as a Rising Voices grantee, what would be the general timeline of project activities in 2014?
The month of May 2014.
1st May to 15th June.
Detail a specific budget of up to $2,500 USD for operating costs.
2 Laptops: $1, 000
10 USB: $ 50
2 Digital Cameras:$100
2 Digital Recorders: $100
Internet Access: $100
Workshop costs/facilities (refreshment, food, communications, preparation etc): $1, 000
Coordinators’ expenses: $250
Besides the microgrant funding, what other support can Rising Voices provide for your project to ensure its success?
Technical support, Communication tool kits and materials.
Contact name
Mamadou Edrisa Njie
Organization
Global Youth Innovation Netowrk Gambia Chapter