African women sports writers coached

Up to 100 African women sports reporters from 21 countries have begun receiving journalism training in a programme sponsored by FIFA.

The women who are all members of the African Women Sports Reporters Union will be tutored by Journalists from AFP Foundation, set up by the international news agency AFP, in English, French, Arabic, Spanish or Portuguese.

The courses kicked off last week in Dakar and  Nairobi and they will continue until spring 2011; finishing before the start of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Germany in June.

The programme is part of FIFA’s “Win in Africa with Africa” initiative, launched before the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, when almost 250 African reporters and photographers were trained by the AFP Foundation.

FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter said: “FIFA is very happy to continue the cooperation with the AFP Foundation to train African sports journalists. With projects like this the ‘Win in Africa with Africa’ programme is made even more sustainable.

With a view towards the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Germany in 2011 – the flagship competition in the women’s game – the actual seminars are dedicated to women’s football, which is why exclusively female sports journalists have been invited.

FIFA will continue to do all it can to use education to make a difference – and to help to build a better future.”

AFP Chairman Emmanuel Hoog added: “I am pleased that the AFP Foundation is again able to train African journalists in partnership with FIFA. Several of the women who took part in the courses which we ran before the 2010 World Cup said they now felt stronger working alongside their male counterparts.

This new programme is designed not only to enhance the skills of women journalists but also to raise their status in the African media – a noble goal which corresponds to the mission of our Foundation.”