Uganda’s Centre for Media Literacy and Community Development (CEMCOD) has extended its Media and Information Literacy (MIL) expertise to Rwandan MIL partners, teachers and principals of schools managing media clubs in the country.
Prossy Kawala, CEMCOD’s Director of Media initiatives in late July held two separate workshops at St. Paul’s centre in Kigali that aimed to deepen both the teachers and partners’ understanding of the concept of Media and Information Literacy.
She conducted the training on behalf of DW-Akademie, Germany’s leading organization for international media development. DW Akademie, implements the project “Strengthening Media and Information Literacy (MIL) of the Youth” together with its various partners in Rwanda.
The workshops that combined theoretical inputs with practical exercises conveyed the general objectives of MIL and demonstrated ways of teaching MIL and how pupils can acquire MIL skills during media club lessons.
Participants at the trainings were drawn from MIL partners including Ejo Youth Echo (EYE), the Rwanda Community Radio Network (RCRN), Pax Press, and principals and teachers from 10 selected pilot schools with media clubs some of which included TTC De La Salle – Byumba, TTC Rubengera, College De Rebero, G.S Gihara and Apek among others.
Participants were introduced to key concepts of MIL, steps to MIL, media analysis and critical thinking skills and the internet and Social Media among others.
Ms. Kawala noted that as MIL practitioners and advocates, our work can only be strengthened by sharing and learning from each other, and our working relationship must extend beyond borders to create the type of change and community transformation we are collectively striving for in Africa.
Ms. Kawala is co-founder at Centre for Media Literacy and Community Development (CEMCOD). CEMCOD is a non-profit organization with a focus to bring about holistic growth and development by uplifting the status of vulnerable communities within Uganda through the provision of media, media-related, and direct community interventions.
The organization strengthens citizens’ participation in governance issues and freedom of speech and is currently spearheading a Community Media for Governance and Development project which seeks to foster a diverse and thriving media landscape by strengthening citizen engagement, introducing community news reporting, and ensuring that the community is accountable to itself and other stakeholders.
