Senegal, one of Africa’s most prosperous and democratic countries, has enjoyed an economic boom since the late 1990s, primarily reliant on agriculture. Political stability, religious tolerance, and rich culture bind together the country’s 15 million citizens, though large segments of the population lack equal access to economic, health and educational resources. Its capital, Dakar, is the western-most point of the African continent, and standards of living vary greatly between the coast and the rural inland communities.
In 2013, IRP opened the fellowship program to international media professionals. The program encourages journalists to cover neglected, under-reported stories of global importance. As much of the mainstream media have reduced their coverage of international issues, the International Reporting Project is filling some of the voids.
In this context, IRP fellows to Senegal will explore issues that tend to affect women and men differently, including education, infrastructure, agriculture, and health. We will especially focus on the advancement of women’s rights and lingering inequities.
Fellows on the 10-day reporting trip will look at these issues and much more in Senegal, and possibly spend a few days in neighboring Gambia. We will meet with key government leaders, representatives of non-governmental organizations, members of the education and health communities, religious and media leaders, and others.
Benefits
- Fellows meet with key government officials, representatives of nongovernmental organizations, members of the business community, religious leaders, members of the local media, and local citizens, among others.
- The IRP will purchase the fellows’ round-trip air tickets to Senegal and will pay for visas, hotel costs, local transportation and most meals. Fellows who wish to extend their stay after the fellowship will have the option to arrange that at their own expense.
- All fellows on the trip are required to participate in the sessions arranged for the group program. Much of the value of a group reporting trip comes from a combination of IRP-arranged meetings and the interactions the fellows have with each other.
- Some independent reporting time will be included in the schedule. However, if you prefer to have more flexibility in your reporting schedule, we strongly encourage you to extend your trip or to apply for our individual reporting fellowships instead.
Eligibilities
- Alumni who have participated in previous IRP fellowships, trips, and residencies are eligible to apply.
- Alumni who have participated in previous IRP fellowships, trips, and residencies are eligible to apply.
- They encourage fellows to publish their work in English, but other languages are also acceptable. The application, however, must be in English.
- They do not accept applications from reporting teams on the group trips.
- Freelancers or unaffiliated journalists are eligible for the program.For more information please visit their official website.
Application Process
Apply through the given link.
Application Deadline: September 24, 2017
Application ClosedOfficial link
