2019 Drowning Prevention Fellows

Andrew Mtupanyama

Country: Malawi
Media Organization: National Publications Limited
Story proposal: Mtupanyama will analyze the number of drowning cases in Malawi and engage authorities on what can be done to prevent further cases of drowning. He will also share some of the issues that people with disabilities experience during natural disasters.

Andrew Mtupanyama is a Malawian journalist working for Nation Publications Limited (NPL). Mtupanyama holds a certificate in journalism, from Malawi Institute of Journalism in 1997, a diploma in computer studies from the National College of Information Technology in 2006, and a diploma in graphic media studies from the University of Malawi in 2014. 

At NPL, Mtupanyama has served as a technical journalist; at Nation Online, he served as co-webmaster before being promoted to his current position as technical editor (printed publications) in 2012. Over the years, Mtupanyama has blended his feature writing, graphic designing and photography skills to tell comprehensive stories. He has developed a passion for solutions and advocacy journalism, as noted in his “Do It Yourself” column in The Nation on Sunday and his human-interest features. 

Last year, Mtupanyama was named the second runner-up in the Africa Climate Change and Environmental Reporting Awards organized by the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance in Nairobi Kenya.

Stories produced through fellowship: Drowning Deaths Ranked Third Globally; Silent Crisis in the Water; Teaching Children Survival Swimming; Lessons From Zanzibar; Can Technology Make the Water Safe?; No UN Resolution to Drowning Prevention

 

Dewi Safitri

Country: Indonesia
Media Organization: CNN Indonesia 
Story proposal: Safitri’s story idea focuses on the importance of having a conversation about drowning prevention at the national level. Safitri believes a national discussion is imperative for Indonesia due to water accidents (both man-made and natural) that occur almost daily.

Dewi Safitri has nearly 20 years of experience in journalism. Since the 1990s, Safitri has worked in print, radio, television and online. To date she has worked for several local news organizations, including the BBC and CNN offices based in Jakarta. In 2011, Safitri received an award from the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) for reporting on the role of Islamic teachings in forest conservation and climate change efforts. In 2014, Safitri received a Chevening scholarship for a master’s degree in the field of Science, Technology in Society in the U.K. 

Story produced through fellowship: WHO: One Person Dies Every 90 Seconds due to Drowning 

 

Diwakar Pyakurel

Country: Nepal
Media Organization: Onlinekhabar
Story proposal: Pyakurel will assess the impact of various NGOs' flood prevention and relief programs. He will also demonstrate how swimming skills can save people from drowning, and how privately funded swimming schools are teaching swimming skills to people with disabilities.

Diwakar Pyakurel is a young journalist working in Kathmandu, Nepal. From 2013 to 2017, he worked for The Himalayan Times, a leading English-language daily in Nepal. Then, he moved to Onlinekhabar; which is one of the most visited news websites in Nepal despite its comparatively small newsroom of just 30 staff. Pyakurel writes in both English and Nepali languages. Onlinekhabar is primarily a Nepali news website, but it also has an English page for a smaller audience of young urban people.

Pyakurel writes on a host of issues and topics. Of late, he has been writing a lot about public health and safety issues. Pyakurel has a master’s degree in English from Pokhara University, where he was also put on the dean's list. His undergraduate majors were mass communications and journalism, and English. 

Stories produced through fellowship: Nepali Kids With Disabilities Learn Swimming as Therapy and Life-Saving Skill; Daycare Saves Children From Drowning. Is Nepal Ready to Adopt This Simple Solution?; Despite Millions of Rupees Spent by NGOs, Dozens Drown in Southern Nepal Every Year

 

Frank Kisakye

Country: Uganda
Media Organization: The Observer Media Ltd 
Story proposal: Kisakye’s story will explore the safety laws governing swimming pools in private homes. With a growing middle class, the urge for a luxurious lifestyle is becoming a norm for many people but unfortunately safety protocols are not keeping up.

Frank Kisakye is from Uganda and is an information and technology graduate. He is a practicing journalist and editor with an experience spanning more than 10 years. Although he is an IT graduate, he is an accomplished journalist who has risen through the ranks to his current position of online writer/editor at The Observer Media Ltd.

He is a well-trained online journalist having secured a fellowship from the government of Germany in 2010. Kisakye has managed to build a very strong online presence for The Observer, making it one of the most influential media houses in the country. Because of his experience, he is also a media trainer for university students in online journalism. He has a strong bias toward health, especially reproductive health. As the online editor, he is tasked with working on all topics and subjects as the stories come in. 

Story produced through fellowship: Roll Back Deaths by Drowning - Makerere Researcher

 

Gunjan Sharma

Country: India
Media Organization: Press Trust of India
Story proposal: Gunjan Sharma will explore why men are are more at risk of drowning than women. 
Sharma will also produce stories on what measures can be taken to prevent drowning in crisis situations and various other aspects related to drowning due to floods.

Gunjan Sharma is a journalist with India's leading news agency Press Trust of India (PTI) where she has reported on multiple beats. Sharma has a post graduate degree from Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines where she studied on a fellowship from the Asian Centre for Journalism (ACFJ). Sharma also has a postgraduate diploma in English journalism from the prestigious Indian Institute of Mass Communication.

Sharma reports on health and women’s and children’s rights. Her series of stories on saffronization of education and India’s new education policy has been awarded at various platforms. In 2013, she was also selected as India's representative for the Foreign Correspondent Program conducted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland. The program, in its 25th year, gives an opportunity to one journalist from each of 18 countries to stay for one month in Finland and receive journalism trainings.

Story produced through fellowship: Swimming and Water Safety Training Should Be Mandatory Part of School Curriculum: Experts

 

 Jenia Kabir

 Country: Bangladesh
 Media Organization: Channel 24

Story proposal: Kabir’s story will speak to the importance of day-care    centers in rural Bangladesh to prevent drowning and the importance of including swimming lesson in school curriculums.

Jenia Kabir has been a television journalist and program presenter for eight years. Kabir covers a wide range of beats, including health, children, gender, and climate. She recently attended the Deutsche Welle Global Media Forum. She actively supports women’s rights and is interested in travel and reading. 

 

Julie Power

Country: Australia 
Media Organization: The Sydney Morning Herald, Nine News 
Story proposal: Julie Power’s stories will focus on the correlation between alcohol and drowning. In Australia, about 40% of the nearly 2,000 men who drowned in the past decade had drugs or alcohol in their systems. Power’s second story will draw attention to drowning worldwide using graphics and data in an innovative way.

Julie Power is a senior print and online reporter with The Sydney Morning Herald and The Sun-Herald, and other newspapers and websites around Australia owned by Nine Corp., which took over Fairfax Media in 2019. A reporter for more than 30 years, Power has lived and worked in Australia, the United States and France. In Australia, she began her career with Australia’s leading financial newspaper, the Australian Financial Review, covering politics and business in Sydney, Adelaide, and Parliament House, Canberra. She later worked as a press secretary to a federal government minister. In the United States, Julie was an editor of a range of business and marketing publications.

In addition to writing features and covering breaking news, Power covers a range of safety and public health issues, including unintentional injuries and accident prevention, including drownings and water safety, road safety, falls and other issues to do with aging including the Royal Commission into Aged Care, indigenous health and culture, and a major ongoing inquiry into widespread use of the drug crystal methamphetamine. She also enjoys covering historical stories and human interest. In 2016, she received a WHO/ICFJ fellowship to attend Safety 2016 in Finland. In 2018, she attended Safety 2018 in Bangkok on a fellowship from the Australian Injury Prevention Network.

Stories produced through fellowship: Surviving 29 Hours at Sea: How Some People Defy the Odds; 'People Take It for Granted': How the Next Generation of Toilets Could Change the Lives of Millions

 

Sherrie Ann Torres

Country: Philippines
Media Organization: ABS-CBN Corp.
Story proposal: Torres will report on the importance of including swimming in school curriculums from early education to college, and the condition of public swimming pools in the Philippines.

Sherrie Ann Torres is a Filipino journalist who started her career as a radio reporter but shifted to print before finally becoming a television and multimedia reporter. Her 28 years of experience prepared her to be able to effectively produce news, features and investigative/special reports in all formats. Torres has a master’s degree in journalism from the Ateneo de Manila University.

Today, she is teaching journalism and broadcast-related subjects in one of Manila's finest universities. Her achievements include a "Best Broadcast Reporter of the Year" award, bestowed by the organization of private sector educators in the Philippines. She also received fellowships from the Radio Netherlands Training Center (investigative journalism), International Labor Organization (labor reporting) and Konrad Adenauer Foundation. Torres also conducts workshops for aspiring journalists, teachers, public officials and others who want to learn and understand the importance of journalism.

Stories produced through fellowship: Drowning Prevention Advocate Calls for UN Action; WHO Urges Mandatory Swimming, Rescue Lessons in PH Schools; Why the Topic of Drowning Prevention Needs to Be Brought to the Surface 

 

Tanyaluk Sakoot

Country: Thailand
Media Organization: Class Act Media
Story proposal: Sakoot’s stories will help spread awareness to people, particularly students. Sakoot also hopes to influence the government to focus more on the issue of drowning.

Tanyaluk “Mango” Sakoot obtained her bachelor’s degree in English from Thaksin University in Songkla province. Sakoot also received education in journalistic writing. Sakoot has been working as a reporter on general issues for The Phuket News since 2012. For years, she has reported extensively on drownings at Phuket’s beaches, including first-hand reports, follow-up reports and coordinating closely with life-guards to make sure safety advice and warnings are presented to the public in as timely a way and as accurately as possible.

Stories produced through fellowship: Lifesaving Training, Community Support Needed to Tackle Drowning in Phuket: ILS Chair; International Lifesaving Chief Speaks out on Phuket Lifeguards

 

Vicheika Kann

Country: Cambodia
Media Organization: Voice of America (VOA Khmer)
Story proposal: Vicheika Kann plans to write about drowning prevention efforts in rural areas, where many children are susceptible to drowning. She will also focus her stories to encourage Cambodians to develop their ability to save and prevent children’s drowning deaths.

Vicheika Kann is a reporter at Voice of America (VOA) Khmer service, based in Phnom Penh. Her stories focus on politics, human rights, social justices and social issues. Before taking her current position at VOA in 2016, Vicheika was a full-time reporter at the independent radio, Voice of Democracy (VOD). While working at VOD, she obtained the Indigenous Voices in Asia Regional Award from the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact Foundation in 2015 for her video documentary "My Land, My Life.”

She was also a provincial citizen journalists' mentor at VOD. She received her bachelor of laws and economics at the Royal University of Law in Cambodia. She is currently serving as second vice president on the board of the Cambodian Journalists Alliance. 

Stories produced through fellowship: VOA News: The World Conference on Drowning Prevention 2019, Held in Dublin in South Africa; Four to Six Cambodia Children Die From Drowning Every Day; VOA Interview: World Conference on Drowning Expected to Reduce Drowning Deaths