The Rwanda Expert Mentorship Programme is a unique opportunity for both journalist volunteers and journalism students in Rwanda to share with each other, and learn more about the practice of journalism. Fojo offers experienced journalists the opportunity to go to Rwanda to teach during 2-4 weeks and share their expertise with small groups of interested students. In Rwanda, participating students, from four different universities, have the chance to deepen their knowledge and get hands-on experience during intensive workshops.
Share your knowledge and expertise and become one of our volunteering journalists.
Tomas Jennebo has already visited Rwanda three times in in order to work with students and share his knowledge about radio productions. In October 2022, Tomas taught the craft of podcasting. In his interview, he sheds some light on what it is like to be a volunteering journalist for Fojo.
Annelie Frank is an experienced Expert Mentor on The Rwanda Media Programme. In October 2022, she spent two weeks in Rwanda. Here she tells us a bit more about what it is like to be a volunteering journalists for Fojo.
To be an expert mentor comes with responsibilities, but of course also brings a lot of benefits. Naturally, what first comes to mind is the enriching experience of working with the four partner universities of the Rwanda Media Programme (RMP) and the journalist students that are enrolled in each university. You will not be a regular lecturer teaching in the classroom. Instead, you will work with a smaller group of students. They will have applied to be part of the training because they have a special interest in some aspect of journalism such as radio, TV, multimedia or writing – or a subject such as investigative or environmental journalism. You will train them together with the Rwanda Media Programme’s university coordinator and/or with a local journalist. This is to help overcome language and cultural barriers, at the same time as the students can get more hands on and personal coaching. Since you come as a volunteer, we want to tailor your mentorship to your strengths and what you feel comfortable and willing to teach. Using this as our starting point when planning your stay in Rwanda, we will put together groups of students that have a special interest in what you will teach.
Although you will not receive a regular salary as an expert mentor, Fojo of course covers all surrounding costs, such as:
Do you want to become one of our Expert Mentors? Send us your CV and a cover letter, mentioning your area of expertise and how you can contribute to the programme.
As mentioned earlier, the RMP has four partner universities. Two of these, East African University Rwanda and Mount Kenya University Rwanda, are located in Kigali. The other two, Institut Catholique and School of Journalism and Communication at University of Rwanda, are located in Muhanga and Huye respectively. Over the years, we have learnt that often the pedagogy works better and students are more focused if we locate the training outside the outside of the universities’ hometowns. This means that you will have the chance to travel around the country a bit while there.
SJC NEWS is a TV-news bulletin made by 140 students at the School of Journalism and Communication (SJC), at the University of Rwanda in 2018. The bulletin was made by the 2nd year class at the end of their course “TV Production Skills”. It is produced partly in English and partly in Kinyarwanda. The Swedish journalists teaching them were Felix Larnö and Daniel Jonsson.
Podcasts were recorded during the recently concluded podcast training for MKUR and EAUR students.
Kajette interviews Jane; Day 1 of the podcast training period.
Life Zone podcast: Day 4 of Podcast training
The students have their own dedicated platforms to share their reportages, podcasts, videos and articles. You find more of their journalistic work on the different students websites below.
The latest news about the programme and student productions.