Zainab Bala, through her documentary titled ‘The Almajiri’, has won the Michael Elliott Award for Excellence in African Storytelling, alongside Bernadette Vivuya from Congo. Bala, in this interview by ENIOLA OYEMOLADE, speaks on what motivated her to create the documentary, among others.
How did you hear about the competition?
I always look out for online tools and resources for journalists and the international journalists network (IJNET) is a go to for everything I need.
So, one day, I logged in as I always do. I clicked on the opportunities area and then I saw an opening for an award of excellence in African Storytelling.
What is the competition about and what does it seek to achieve?
The Michael Elliott Award for Excellence in African Storytelling is a collaboration between the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ), the ONE Campaign, and the Elliott family, that honours up-and-coming journalists in Africa who strive to strengthen people’s voices and illuminate the transformational change taking place on the continent.
The Award was established in honor of Michael Elliott, an outstanding editor, philanthropist, and former ICFJ director, whose life was a testament to the power of storytelling to bear witness to and improve the human condition.
What motivated you to enter for the competition?
To be honest when I read about the past winners and saw what they have achieved, I was skeptical at first. I thought I didn’t have a lot to my journalism career because all of them work in reputable and well known establishments. But then I said to myself my passion for storytelling is beyond just doing these stories for public consumption. I want to create an impact and as a journalist, I have a social responsibility to be the voice of the voiceless. This is what motivated my entry for the award.
Did you think you were going to win?
Oh my! It never occurred to me that I will win because of the pool of entries across Africa. I only submitted my entry because I felt I needed to try out for the first time thinking may be my story might just be the one.
The title of your documentary was ‘The Almajiri’. In detail, what is it about?
‘The Almajiri’ is a documentary about children who leave their homes in search of Islamic knowledge. Unfortunately, these children are exposed to neglect and abuse by their teachers. Their parents don’t cater for their needs, leading them to beg on the streets.
What inspired it?
‘The Almajiri’ is inspired by my zeal to erase the notion about the nonchalant attitude of the Islamic and northern community towards child rights. In a formal Islamic context, the Almajiri School is supposed to be like a home for a child, a place where he/she can thrive putting in place all necessary architecture and supplies that the child needs to learn effectively.
Unfortunately, the situation is different. This documentary seeks to educate the public on the implications of exposing these children to hardships and what the Holy Quran says about exposing children to dangers.
What challenges did you face while shooting the documentary and how long did it take for you to complete it?
For a documentary like the Almajiri which has an element of investigation in it, it requires time and patience. From research to getting permission to film, getting in touch with interviewees and other aspect of the piece, it took me 3 months to finalise the piece.
The challenge I had was getting to film the children I found in chains and also getting all the children that study in that school in one place. I also encountered cancelled interview appointments.
When you watch the piece, towards the end where we had an interview session with the crew you will see me bloated because I was pregnant at the time I filmed the piece. That also came in as a challenge for me but I said to myself it is now or never.
What would you say helped you win the essay?
I think what helped win the award was the narrative and the approach to the story.
In what way did participating in the competition and winning affect you positively?
Before the award, I was always in my shell except for moments where I am out to do my stories. This is my happy place. But winning this award has changed a lot. It has given me the confidence that I can fly, that I can compete anywhere by believing in what I do and why I do it. It has opened new doors for me, awarding me the opportunity to meet people that I won’t ordinarily have access to.
This award has also given me a platform to learn new things that will improve my career path. Most importantly, it has given me a voice.
What was the prize and how did the winning make you feel?
As stated on the application, winners will be given $5000 each and an opportunity to travel to the United States or the United Kingdom and learn from different newsrooms depending on the type of news organisation you work with.
But because of the pandemic, the internship and workshop with experts is done virtually. I know the feeling won’t be the same as in person, but so far, it has been amazing getting to meet these amazing people. I am currently interning with Aljazeera English.
You are a broadcast journalist, did it help you with the competition in any way?
Oh yes it did. Broadcast journalists research and report the news across broadcast channels, such as TV, radio and online. You may be working behind the scenes as a researcher or producer – finding out background details about a story or interviewing people – or you may be in front of the camera or on the radio as a reporter or presenter.
You’ll need to work to tight deadlines, reporting breaking and unfolding news as well as investigating your own stories. You may be working indoors or out in the field. You’ll need to be able to use recording equipment such as microphones and cameras, as well as being able to edit material. It’s a highly competitive job, for which you’ll need excellent English, communication and IT skills.
When you look at all of these skills, they are all important to telling great stories.
How did the passion for broadcast journalism come about?
Growing up, I wanted to be a singer then dancer but something changed afterwards. I wanted to be someone who can touch people’s lives.
I knew I didn’t have the capacity to set up a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) so I decided to use a career path that has an element of activist. I chose journalism.
I didn’t want to go to just any university in the country but decided to enroll at Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) Television College, Jos, and this is where my life changed. Through some of the stories I have done, quite a number of people have gotten scholarships, grants and mental health supports. I have been able to do all these through my digital media platform called ‘The scoop’.
What do you think of people’s response towards child abuse in Nigeria?
Violence against children is a pervasive problem, very close to home, in Nigeria, with six out of every 10 children in the country suffering one or more forms of physical, sexual or emotional violence before they reach 18.
I think we are not doing enough. Sometimes as parents we get to contribute towards this menace by sending our children to work as domestic servants or even hawkers all in the need of searching for livelihood exposing them to all forms of danger.
I think we all need to contribute our quota towards making this a thing of the past by making sure our children get all they deserve to thrive and be great leaders of our dear country.
In your opinion, what should the government and even individuals do to reduce child abuse in Nigeria?
On September 15, 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari committed to ending violence against children, launching a year of action, calling on not only the government, but also NGOs, religious leaders and groups, the media and every Nigerian to take action to ensure no children have to grow up in the shadow of violence. National Priority Actions were also launched, setting out key steps that were needed to more effectively prevent and respond to all forms of violence against children.
I think this is a great initiative but just launching campaigns is not enough.
There should be an active body put in place to check mate these activities as well to ensure that no child has to suffer abuse of any form.
What do you enjoy most about being a broadcast journalist?
The most beautiful thing I love about being a broadcast journalist is being able to see through the eyes of people. Getting to hear their stories and being able to connect with them on a different level gives me fulfillment.
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