IREX in Africa
IREX implements a wide portfolio of programs in 41 countries in Africa. More than 20% of IREX program funds go to Africa related projects.
Programs focus on building local capacity for development, conflict resolution, and providing citizens with access to information.
All IREX programs in Africa draw on African expertise in the form of partner organizations, staff and consultants, ensuring sustainable solutions well-suited for the African context.
IREX projects in Africa:
IREX results in Africa:
identify civil society leaders, help local NGOs find sustainable means to deliver services and provide information.
In Liberia’s recent presidential election, IREX worked with civil society partners to promote of peaceful elections. IREX trained and equipped reporters to produce conflict sensitive coverage of the campaign and media monitoring of polling station results.
work on higher education reform and with primary and secondary teachers to introduce new class subjects and teaching styles.
At universities in Ghana and Tanzania, there is a new focus on faculty development and innovation in teaching as a result of an administrator’s participation in IREX’s US-based training program.
provide local newspaper, radio and TV and journalists with training and resources to deliver sustainable, high quality news and information. bring together youth in post-conflict regions to promote peace and reconciliation through community dialogue. measure the sustainability of media (freedom of speech, professional journalism, plurality of news, business management, and supporting institutions) in 41 countries on the continent.
In Rwanda and Kenya youth leaders participated in community theater performances to increase reconciliation dialogue facilitated by IREX. Local NGOs received training and support from IREX to expand their services and youth engagement. A community leader from Sierra Leone spent time in the United States learning about ways to increase the involvement of men in combating violence against women. In Chad, despite very limited resources, community radio stations improved their management and broadcasts with training and consulting from IREX, providing ciizens with an important source of local information. Over 4,500 Senegalese girls are closer to better education and jobs thanks to the training one teacher received in the US and shared with his peer vocational and English language teachers in Senegal. Activists from Uganda and Zimbabwe strengthened their experience and skills in HIV/AIDS interventions working hands on with US organizations.
Africa Success Story: Campaigning for the Rights of Women in Media Somaliland journalist Nafisa Hussein overcame many barriers and personal hardships out of love for her profession. Working first as a radio announcer, then as a newspaper reporter, she persevered. In Somaliland, women journalists are rare. Many of those who do join the profession are steered toward becoming announcers or assistants, with few opportunities for professional development, training, or promotion. Working at night, as many media outlets require, presents another obstacle, with cultural norms discouraging women from being out of the home in the evenings. Nafisa faced a critical turning point after the birth of her first child when her husband ordered her to stop working. She refused and, undaunted by family challenges, applied for IREX assistance through the Supporting Media and Civil Society in Somalia (SMCSS) program. She used these funds to assist the Somaliland Women in Media Association (SWIMA), which she chaired, in
advocating on behalf of women in Somali media. SWIMA carried out an extensive advocacy campaign to raise awareness of topics related to women journalists in Somali media and the media‘s coverage of women’s issues, including media spots designed, produced, and aired by SWIMA. SWIMA not only promoted public debates, panel discussions, and lobbying meetings with government officials and media managers, but also produced a series of trainings for female journalists to advance their professional development. Reflecting on the victories and ongoing challenges confronting Somaliland women in the media, Nafisa says, “As a Somali woman, becoming a media practitioner wasn’t easy. Most people I knew were against my goal of becoming a journalist. I didn’t know where to start; all I knew was that I had the dream of becoming a journalist. I am now a professional and skilled journalist… If other Somali women work hard and challenge the cultural barriers discriminating against women, then one day, they can reach their dreams, too.”
IREX is an international nonprofit organization providing thought leadership and innovative programs to promote positive lasting change globally. We enable local individuals and institutions to build key elements of a vibrant society: quality education, independent media, and strong communities. To strengthen these sectors, our program activities also include conflict resolution, technology for development, gender, and youth. Founded in 1968, IREX has an annual portfolio of over $70 million and a staff of over 400 professionals worldwide. IREX employs field-tested methods and innovative uses of technologies to develop practical and locally-driven solutions with our partners in more than 100 countries.
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