Reward: Two winners announced for the Scholarship Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the assassination of Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon in Kidal, Mali, the names of the winners of the Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon Scholarship were revealed during a ceremony in Abidjan. This award is awarded each year to a journalist and a technician who stand out for their excellence and their commitment to the media.
Joseph Kahongo, originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, won the prize in the journalist category. Aged 27, he holds a degree in journalism and currently works as a journalist, presenter and reporter at Malaika radio and television in Lubumbashi. His report on the consumption of “Gaddafi cocktails”, a mixture of alcohol and drugs, was praised by the jury for its narrative progression and professional sensitivity.
Ange Joël Agbla, originally from Benin, won the prize in the technician category. Aged 23, he works as a technician at Radio Univers in Abomey-Calavi. His audio report on a chicken farm and the working conditions of its employees was praised for the quality of the sound mixing and its immersion in the farm environment.
The two winners will benefit from a four-week training course in Paris, fully supported, during the first quarter of 2024. This training will allow them to improve their professional skills and strengthen their experience in the media field.
The Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon Scholarship attracted more than 300 applications this year, from 25 French-speaking African countries. The 20 finalists, made up of 10 journalists and 10 technicians, followed training provided by media professionals in Abidjan. This initiative aims to support and promote young media talents in French-speaking Africa.
This award is a tribute to Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon, two RFI journalists who were tragically assassinated while exercising their profession in Kidal in 2013. Their commitment and professionalism continue to serve as an inspiration for younger generations of journalists and technicians in French-speaking Africa.
By presenting this award, France Médias Monde, the parent company of RFI, wishes to encourage excellence, curiosity and investigation in the field of media. The Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon Scholarship is a way to support and promote the work of young media professionals in French-speaking Africa, and to perpetuate the memory of these two journalists who gave their lives for their profession.