Citizen TV Journalist Dorcas Wangira has been named the winner of the Michael Elliott Award for African Storytelling.
The announcement was made by the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) which is a nonprofit that supports the truth tellers.
The decision was reached by one campaign and the Elliott family after
the judges said that the winning story, by Dorcas Wangira, stood out for its courageous reporting.
The International Center for Journalists reported that Wangira documented on the harm caused by female genital mutilation and the hope offered by five tech-savvy teenage girls.
Despite the tough competition, Dorcas was selected the Kenyan journalist among 218 applicants for this prize.
Her winning report, “The app and the cut,” ran on KTN News in June 2018.
The feature narrates stories of helplessness on girls who are forced to undergo FGM alongside the tale of five high school girls who invented an app to help girls facing the surgery seek help and find rescue centers.
Wangira will receive the Elliott award and a cash prize at a reception in New York on May 21.
She also will spend time in U.S. newsrooms to learn new skills and share knowledge in an intensive, customized program run by ICFJ.
In addition, she will complete a two-week internship at The Economist’s headquarters in London. The goal is to help to deepen future reporting that engages and empowers Africans.
In response to this win, Dorcas Wangira says she is deeply humbled and honoured to be the recipient of the 2019 Michael Elliot Award for Excellence in African Storytelling.
“I am grateful to everyone who has offered their support,encouragement and trusted me with our greatest currency in Africa: story!” she said