Deadline: February 1st, 2021
InfoNile invites female journalists from Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania to submit in-depth story proposals on plastic pollution of Lake Victoria.
These stories are part of a series of stories and will feed into a final data journalism project including interactive maps and stories.
This project is supported by Code for Africa as part of the Water Commons project.
Whereas plastic has many valuable uses, it is also a global environmental hazard. According to UNEP, over 300 million tonnes of plastic waste are produced globally every year, nearly equivalent to the weight of the entire population in the world. Because of the plastics’ resistance to degradation, most of it never fully disappears; it just gets smaller and smaller.
Research has proven the presence of microplastics in Lake Victoria and within the fish species that inhabit them. However, microplastic contamination in the African Great Lakes is currently underreported compared to other regions of the world. We would therefore like you to tell the stores of plastic pollution in the local communities in and round Lake Victoria.
Your stories shall coincide with the FlipFlopi Expedition which we are part of. Flipflopi is a dhow – a traditional East African sailboat – made entirely from discarded plastic that is sailing around Lake Victoria to raise awareness about marine litter.
The grants will be given to local journalists on the different stopovers to hear the local stories on plastic pollution and how the local communities are affected by the polluted water.
Your Roles:
- Connect the science, research and data to the reality of the plastic pollution and the interventions being made in your local community.
- Conduct an original investigation around plastic pollution and its effects on the biodiversity and communities around Lake Victoria OR Highlight some of the local solutions to plastic pollution at lakeside and island communities.
- Communicate your story to national and local audiences.
How to apply:
How to Apply for the Grant:
Submit the following to [email protected]:
- A proposal outlining your story idea (no more than one page). Proposals should be clearly structured, stating briefly at the outset what the story idea is, followed by how and where the story will be researched, what it aims to reveal or contribute, where you will publish (specific media organizations), and the intended impact of the story. The proposal should also include a plan for incorporating data. Please note how you will use multimedia (video, photos, audio, and graphics along with text). You should also include:
- A moderate proposed budget of no more than $400
- A resumé/CV;
- Two samples of published/broadcast work. Links to the published stories are also accepted.
- Letter of support from your editors, stating that your media houses will publish / telecast / broadcast your story.
