Following our second round of journalism training, nine new stories were published this
week by HuffPost – all reported and captured by Afghan female journalists on the ground.
After their two weeks of training at the end of last year in Kabul, they were mentored by
experienced female journalists from all over the world, who helped guide and refine their
stories for publication.
The standard of applications was extremely high this year. There was an eclectic mix of
graduates, talented photographers and experienced journalists, all of whom were from
different backgrounds with different stories to tell. This time round, we expanded our reach
beyond Kabul, and trained participants also from Kandahar, Mazar-e Sharif and Bamiyan.
This round focused on visual storytelling. The women produced films and photo-essays that
provided a snapshot of Afghan life. One woman told us what it’s like to be a female police
officer in Afghanistan. Another relayed the story of Afghan students and their return to
university after it was attacked by the Taliban. We also heard about women who have
become successful businesswomen and family breadwinners, even when all odds were
stacked against them.
“Two years ago, not a single Afghan woman worked for the English-language, foreign media
outlets in Kabul. As a result, they were often painted as either record-breaking heroes or
pitiful victims. Not much came in between. This is why I founded Sahar Speaks.” Amie Ferris-
Rotman, Sahar Speaks founder.
To get in touch, and to arrange interviews:
hello@saharspeaks.org and on Twitter: @Sahar_Speaks