GUWAHATI, June 18 � A three-day �Capacity Building Workshop� was organised recently by Kasturba Gandhi National Memorial Trust (KGNMT), Assam branch here with support from UNICEF, Assam. The workshop was attended by 39 �young reporters� from four development blocks of Kamrup and Kamrup (Metro) districts.
The objective of the event was to empower the children to raise issues concerning them and of their community by using different media tools. Since 2009, KGNMT with support from UNICEF Assam has been undertaking a child participation project �Young Reporters Initiative� with the marginalised and the disadvantaged children. The young reporters also produce a quarterly newsletter Mukta Akash where they raise the issues and concerns of children in their respective communities.
Samudra Gupta Kashyap, Special Correspondent, Indian Express interacted with the participants on how to collect and write up a news story. �The sessions made me learn how to write a news story in a journalistic way and also to do surveys in my village,� commented Bhaskar, a young reporter of 15 years from Sualkuchi YR group.
�Mukta Akash is really inspiring and acts as a platform for the young reporters as well as other children of the community,� said SG Kashyap after he had a glance on the childrens� newsletter.
On the final day of the workshop, the participants interacted with journalist PK Das, who shared with them some means to be used while collecting news. He further focused on the ethical aspects related to reporting and the editorial process.
Kishori Baruah, CDPO, Social Welfare Dept also interacted with the participants on schemes like ICDS, Sabala in detail.
