While in secondary school, she dreamed of becoming a prominent lawyer. Her dream, however, vanished when she joined university studies. Instead, journalism took over as the defining path of her professional journey.
This is Imani Henrick, the Program Manager at Crown TV, founder of the podcast "Dig It With Imani," and a trainer in digital rights in Tanzania.
“What drew me to the journalism industry was seeing journalists, especially the veteran ones. I used to watch Rehema Mwakangale a lot. I admired how she presented the news, and I wanted to be like her, but I didn’t know how to get there,” says Imani.
Her admission to the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) in 2019, coupled with motivation from various individuals, including her lecturers, was a significant step in building her career.
At the journalism school, she says, there were media learning facilities where students were doing their practical lessons.
“One day, we were told to sit down and try broadcasting. Our supervisor praised me, saying I had a great voice and personality for news broadcasting,” Imani recalls.
“That’s when my dream of becoming a lawyer ended, and I continued learning and falling in love with journalism.”
Imani, who also works with Deutsche Welle (DW) as journalist, began nurturing her journalism career while still in college by seeking training opportunities beyond the classroom.
Among her earlier training opportunities outside the university was from Nukta Africa which among other things promotes quality journalism through media and communication learning programs.
Nukta Africa is a digital media and technology company specializing in research of emerging media and communication practices, training on modern skills in journalism and communication and production of digital and data-driven content.
Seek knowledge, skills everywhere
She says Nukta Africa was one of the initial institutions that introduced her to modern skills in journalism and communication through its training programs.
According to her, the company played a significant role in her career, not only making her a renowned broadcaster but also a digital content producer, trainer, and advocate for digital rights, including gender equality.
In her second year at UDSM, Imani was among 20 Tanzanian journalists selected for a six-month Renewable Energy Fellowship to enhance their skills in reporting on renewable energy.
The fellowship organized by Nukta Africa in partnership with Hivos East Africa in 2019/2020, aimed to empower journalists to specialize in renewable energy reporting using modern techniques, including data journalism and multimedia storytelling.
How Nukta Africa changed her life
“Nukta Africa was a game-changer in my career because I was still new. Through their training, I learned fact-checking and renewable energy in my second year, which was my first long-term training experience,” says Imani.
“When you know what you want, you seek skills to improve yourself.”
Participants in the fellowship also had opportunities to interact with energy experts, visit renewable energy projects, and conduct interviews with community members to enhance their understanding and deliver accurate stories on radio, newspapers, television, and online platforms.
Imani says being trusted to join the training while still a student was unexpected and motivated her to maximize the opportunity to achieve her goals.
The presence of Mlimani FM and Mlimani TV at UDSM a practicing growth from what she learned from the training, refined her skills, allowing her to inform the public with accurate, verified and analytical news.
The skills she acquired from the training included data journalism, fact-checking and multimedia storytelling, although she now focuses on teaching and reporting on digital rights.
Nukta Africa not only opened the door to the journalism industry for Imani but also connected her with various stakeholders, enabling her to build lasting relationships and develop leadership skills for managing media organizations.
For instance, after graduating in 2022, she was employed as the Head of Kings FM Radio Station in Njombe, where she left an indelible mark by improving the station’s operations and revenue.
‘I always go back home’
“There’s a lot of knowledge I use that I learned from Nukta Africa. Even when I face challenges with data, I return home. I apply the training from Nukta Africa to encourage journalists to verify information, use data, and, most importantly, structure stories with the art of storytelling,” emphasizes Imani.
Imani advises Nukta Africa, which operates the Nukta Lab and Kozica e-learning platform to continue offering modern journalism and communication training as it greatly benefits journalists.
She also recommends that trainers make close follow-up with participants to assess how they apply the skills gained and explore new areas of expertise to help journalists improve their work.
“I’d like to thank Nukta Africa for doing an excellent job. You’ve helped wake journalists from their slumber. You should regularly follow up on how journalists are progressing and find ways to reach those who haven’t yet benefited,” she says while smiling.
To date, the Dar es Salaam-based company has trained more than 3,000 people since its establishment in 2018.
If you’d like to enhance your skills in application data in media and communication, fact-checking, and creating impactful online content like Imani, don’t hesitate to contact us via email at [email protected] or call +255 677 088 088.
