Journalists have been urged to focus on reporting on children’s rights in Somalia as they are the ones who are heavily affected by the protracted conflict in the Horn of Africa country.
Speaking during the three-day training of journalists under the Somali Independent Media Houses Association umbrella, Information Minister Daud Aweys said journalists should not only report politics, but they should be a voice for the millions of Somali children who need help from all parties.
“You are the vehicle we need to deliver the message, and without you, we will never know the extent of the damage and how much help the children in Somali need,” Aweys said on Thursday.
SIMHA, the largest consortium of media houses in Somalia, in collaboration with Save the Children Somalia, undertook a three-day training on child rights reporting for over 25 Somali journalists in Mogadishu.
The training, the association said in a statement on Friday, aimed to equip media practitioners with skills and credentials on how best to report on children’s rights in Somalia.
Children bear the brunt of protracted wars in Somalia and famine experienced in the region since the fall of the state in 1991.
They are also subject to several vices such as forced recruitment as soldiers by al Shabaab terror group, forced marriage and rape, issues that need to be highlighted and reported to the public for action by concerned agencies.
The Minister also cautioned journalists against fake news due to its negative impact on the country and society.
Save the Children Somalia National Engagement adviser Ali Abdi Waheliye spoke of the need by the media to highlight the challenges children face in Somalia and their impact.
“As journalists and editors, today you can support the children suffering from the continuous abuse of child rights. You need to take the front seat in highlighting the challenges our children are facing daily,” Waheliye said.
SIMHA’s chairman, Hassan Ali Geesey, said the training would aid journalists identify and shed light on children’s issues.
“The media is the vehicle that delivers crucial information to the public. We feel there is a need to train journalists and editors on how to report on the rights of children and the abuse the children in the country are witnessing now,” Geesey said.
“It is timely, and we hope this will help shape the opinion and views of Somali people through accurate reporting.”
He thanked Save the Children Somalia for what he termed timely training for the Somali journalists.
“Without the support of UNSOM and the Office of the Special Envoy, it would not have been possible to implement this training,” he said in the statement.
The journalists who participated in the training welcomed the opportunity, saying it will help them report better on children.
“I hope I will have a clear understanding of how to report on children’s issues after the training. I am passionate about children’s issues and keen to play my role as a journalist,” Ibrahim Mayow, a journalist for Radio Afgooye, said.
The training represents an important step in promoting child rights reporting in Somalia and ensuring their issues receive the attention they deserve, the association said.
According to Save the Children, more than half of children aged under five in Somalia are facing acute malnutrition, with one in six suffering from the deadliest form as time to fend off famine starts to run out.
