Journalists from across Namibia received awards for their stories about health, violence, and mental issues at an event held by One Economy Foundation last Friday in Windhoek. They earned these honors by writing articles that changed people's attitudes toward tough topics.
The Namibian newspaper saw two of its writers take home prizes in the print group. Shelleygan Petersen won first place with her story "Workplaces fail nursing mothers." Her coworker Tracy Tafirenyika came in second with an article about police investigating students being used for sex.
On the radio side, Charlotte Nambadja from Desert Radio grabbed the top award with her piece "Love Should Not Hurt." The runner-up was Sirka Simon from Focus FM, who created a show about long-term mental health problems. For digital media, Shaun Adams won first place for his work on birth control access, with Hildegard Titus taking second for a story about Namibia making sodomy legal.
The national broadcasting company's TV awards went to Selima Henock. She won for her report on talks between Namibia and Angola about helping Angolan kids. Elago Shitaatala earned second place with "Voices against violence," which shared stories from abuse survivors.
Nambadja explained her winning radio story talked about men and women who died or suffered abuse from their partners. She said families often wait years for justice, never finding peace. She argued against calling these "passion killings" because there is nothing passionate about murder - relationships should make people feel safe and loved.
Her story also covered an 80-year-old who was raped and killed two years ago with no arrests made yet. Nambadja stressed that journalists tell these stories not to win prizes but to help listeners grasp how violence hurts families. She thanked her producer, Enok Kaumba, who helped edit her documentary.
Tafirenyika gave credit to her editor, Shinovene Immanuel, for guidance on her winning story. She spent months researching and interviewing people about kids being targeted for sex through apps like Instagram. She pointed out that Namibia has no laws yet that protect children from online predators.
She praised the foundation for pushing reporters to keep bringing attention to big social problems. Peterson, another winner, said her story shows how pregnancy and nursing needs are treated as extras rather than basic needs for working women. She sees her award as a victory for better information about female health rights.
The Namibian newspaper saw two of its writers take home prizes in the print group. Shelleygan Petersen won first place with her story "Workplaces fail nursing mothers." Her coworker Tracy Tafirenyika came in second with an article about police investigating students being used for sex.
On the radio side, Charlotte Nambadja from Desert Radio grabbed the top award with her piece "Love Should Not Hurt." The runner-up was Sirka Simon from Focus FM, who created a show about long-term mental health problems. For digital media, Shaun Adams won first place for his work on birth control access, with Hildegard Titus taking second for a story about Namibia making sodomy legal.
The national broadcasting company's TV awards went to Selima Henock. She won for her report on talks between Namibia and Angola about helping Angolan kids. Elago Shitaatala earned second place with "Voices against violence," which shared stories from abuse survivors.
Nambadja explained her winning radio story talked about men and women who died or suffered abuse from their partners. She said families often wait years for justice, never finding peace. She argued against calling these "passion killings" because there is nothing passionate about murder - relationships should make people feel safe and loved.
Her story also covered an 80-year-old who was raped and killed two years ago with no arrests made yet. Nambadja stressed that journalists tell these stories not to win prizes but to help listeners grasp how violence hurts families. She thanked her producer, Enok Kaumba, who helped edit her documentary.
Tafirenyika gave credit to her editor, Shinovene Immanuel, for guidance on her winning story. She spent months researching and interviewing people about kids being targeted for sex through apps like Instagram. She pointed out that Namibia has no laws yet that protect children from online predators.
She praised the foundation for pushing reporters to keep bringing attention to big social problems. Peterson, another winner, said her story shows how pregnancy and nursing needs are treated as extras rather than basic needs for working women. She sees her award as a victory for better information about female health rights.
