It was eight years ago when I first met Mashirima Kapombe. She was then the station manager of Shine FM at Daystar University.
The training institution I was working for at the time had tasked me with the responsibility of identifying a university where we could start training students who were in the last year of college and just about to join the job market.
This was as a sustainability measure of ensuring the conflict sensitive principles we had been passionately training journalists across Kenya from various media houses on, would find its roots in learning institutions.
Daystar University Communication staff warmed up to the idea on the first day I paid them a courtesy visit and a few weeks later all the ground work had been accomplished and modalities agreed upon.
Mashirima and nine other participants including one of their lecturers were our first university trainees. They were a phenomenal group who set the pace for their subsequent colleagues, who continued to receive sustained support from the training institution for many years of the conflict sensitive project life.
Mashirima, together with the other participants worked diligently after the six day training workshop to develop their stories that touched on various conflict sensitive issues that were pertinent to their listeners not only from the university ,but also from the surrounding towns where their frequency reached.
When this first group graduated from the university, every one of the participants joined various media and organizations, where they continue to excel in their various disciplines.
So it was great catching up with Mashirima a few days ago after so many years. Through our conversation the possibility of us holding a training session together that would draw on our synergies was born. Next week, our company will be having our monthly skills building seminar and Mashirima will be our guest speaker. See poster below for details:
Make sure you book your slot!
Tomorrow I will share an audio feature on Mashirima. It will give you a sneak preview of her journey to media , the milestones and what keeps Mashirima’s passion for journalism alive.