The Trust would like to congratulate members of our Women in Media Network – Selma Inocência and Suzgo Khunga – who have recently been appointed into new and exciting roles in their respective countries. We wish them the very best in their endeavors!
Selma Inocência – Chief Operations Officer, Center for Democracy and Development (Mozambique)
Selma Inocência – WiMN, Mozambique
Selma Inocência is our WiMN newest member who joined the network in 2017. Still mentoring girls through a platform that develops transformational female leaders with Girl Move Academy and heading a Youth and Leadership organisation in Mozambique while freelancing as a correspondent for Deutsche Welle, Selma has just been appointed to manage the Electoral Program, as Chief of Operations Officer in Center for Democracy and Development in Mozambique to deliver 3,000 national observers in preparation for the Mozambique general elections. In 2017 Selma received the Graça Machel Trust’s Founders’ Award in recognition for promoting the values, principles and spirit of the Founder of the Trust and the network.
Selma has been working in the media space for over 10 years as television news anchor, journalist and editor. In 2014, she joined IREX Mozambique working as a Media Specialist with USAID Mozambique Media Strengthening Program to train university students to improve the sustainability and efficiency of Mozambican media through professional training, business management, journalism education, community radio and advocacy. Prior to joining IREX, Selma worked as Director of Journalism at Grupo Record’s TV Miramar. From 2008, she worked as a news presenter and host of economic programs. Between 2008 and 2013, she produced and lead debates, produced reports, made interviews and conducted live broadcasts. Selma won two CNN African Awards CNN (2011 and 2013).
Suzgo Khunga – Public Relations Officer at the Malawi Parliament
Suzgo Khunga- WiMN, Malawi
Suzgo Khunga is our WiMN member who joined the network in 2016. After 17 years working in mainstream journalism with two major media houses in Malawi, she has recently been appointed as the Public Relations Officer at the Malawi Parliament. She will be taking the Parliament to the People. Suzgo also wears a different heart as an advisor for Duku Voices, an initiative that is documenting stories of Malawian women who are leading and building the nation while also working with and training young women on digital story-telling and how to use modern methods to tell stories in their communities. Congratulations to you Suzgo!
The Women in Media Network (WIMN) is the Trust most recent network comprising of 38 highly experienced journalists from 15 countries across Africa. A key focus of the network is to challenge the current perceptions and mindsets about Africa’s women and children and how they are portrayed in the media. We believe that through balanced storytelling we will be able to shape a new reality – one that reflects more nuanced stories, told in the way that women want and deserve their stories to be told. Read more on our Women In Media Network here
The Trust supports and mobilises civil society networks on issues of ending child marriage, ending violence against children, ending female genital mutilation and promoting children’s rights, to carry out advocacy and action across Africa. Special focus is placed on Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia where child marriage continues to be a problem largely driven by poverty, gender inequality, harmful traditional practices, conflict, low levels of literacy, limited opportunities for girls and weak or non-existent protective and preventive legal frameworks.
Education is a fundamental right for all children, which is also a vehicle for social, economic and political transformation in communities, countries and the African continent at large. Recent studies indicate a lack of progress in some of the critical commitments aimed at improving education quality, access, retention and achievement, particularly for girls. In most African countries, girls may face barriers to learning, especially when they reach post-primary levels of education. By implementing multi-dimensional approaches to education which includes core education, personal development, life skills and economic competencies, the Trust partners with funding partners, governments, civil societies and the private sector to improve education access.
The Nutrition and Reproductive, Maternal, New-born, Child and Adolescent Health and Nutrition, (RMNCAH+N) of the Children’s Rights and Development Programme aims at promoting the Global Strategy for women, children and adolescents’ health within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) agenda. The strategy emphasises on the importance of effective country leadership as a common factor across countries making progress in improving the health of women, children and adolescents.
Through its Early Childhood Development (ECD) plan, The Trust will seek to put into action the new science and evidence Report that was presented by Lancet Series on Good and early development – the right of every child. This will be achieved by mobilising like-minded partners to contribute in the new science and evidence to reach all young children with ECD. The Trust’s goal is to be a catalyst for doing things differently, in particular, to rid fragmentation and lack of coordination across ECD sectors. In response to evidence showing the importance of political will in turning the tide against the current poor access and quality of ECD. Even before conception, starting with a mother’s health and social economic conditions, the early years of a child’s life form a fundamental foundation that determines whether a child will survive and thrive optimally.