Photo courtesy Anne Medley

Congolese students tell their stories in video

by MJR Staff

Anne Medley has been teaching multimedia in The Democratic Republic of Congo since March 1. Medley graduated from Carleton College in Minnesota and earned a Masters in Journalism at the University of Montana. She teaches multimedia journalism at the Freedom Forum’s Diversity Institute in Nashville, Tennessee. Her blog is called Congo in Focus.

Did you have any prior interest or experience in Africa?

I majored in African studies as an undergraduate and I studied in Ghana during the summer of my sophomore year. I always knew I wanted to go back to Africa, but I wanted to be able to work there in some capacity, not just study or travel.

What brought you to the Congo?

I have a friend in Missoula whose brother works for this organization called the Congo Initiative [SJ2]and I talked to her about how I wanted to go back to Africa to teach or do journalism. She put me in touch with him, and he asked if I would be interested in teaching multimedia journalism in Congo, and I thought, "Absolutely."

Where in the Congo are you?

I'm in the town of Beni, which is in North Kivu province.

What is the current state of journalism in the Congo?

It's terrible. Just last week a journalist in a nearby town was killed by soldiers and a photographer and videographer in Beni, where I am, was also killed last week[SJ3]. Despite that, I actually feel incredibly safe here.

Do your students fall under any sort of profile or are they of all ages and backgrounds?

They're definitely a mix of traditional and non-traditional students. I have students in their early 20s and women who are in their 40s with four children. As far as religious backgrounds, most of the students are Christian, but there are a few Muslim students here as well.

What is the ratio of male to female students?

That's a good question. I would say it's actually pretty even.

We heard that a lot of your students lack basic computer skills. What did you teach them?

I never realized how little computer knowledge my students would have here, so I've had to start at the very beginning — teaching them how to make folders, how to use a mouse, how to name things, how to copy and paste. It's been a real learning experience for me.

Do they get the hang of it fairly quickly?

Some of them get the hang of it faster than others.

Have you experienced any language barriers?

Language is a huge barrier here, since all of the students speak fluent French and Swahili (among other languages), but their English isn't nearly as strong. I speak incredibly little French, but I’ve been studying Swahili since I arrived, so I can get around pretty well now.

What are your students like?

The students have been really wonderful. They see that this is a huge opportunity for them to learn the latest technology and techniques for multimedia journalism, and they're incredibly grateful.

Have you run into any problems?

I still struggle a lot with African notions of time and academics, in general.

For example, if they come to class on time, it's a miracle, regardless of how many times I tell them they must be on time. I have students rolling in 30-45 minutes late every day, and that's considered normal here.

What about work ethic?

Students also are used to doing everything as a group in school, so the notion of working independently and not helping your classmates is very foreign to them. But also, the academic system here is full of corruption, so it's just become normal not to take academics seriously, in a way.

How will they apply this knowledge to their everyday lives?

Essentially, I hope that what I'm teaching these students will empower them to continue telling stories about their community and their country through audio, photos and video. With the Internet as bad as it is here, I understand that the reality of their uploading videos and multimedia projects to personal websites is fairly unlikely.

How common is Internet access in the Congo?

In the bigger cities, Internet is quite accessible, but in Beni, we just have a few Internet cafes, and no one has Internet in their homes. Internet access is one of the biggest obstacles here to getting good multimedia journalism produced by Congolese people out into the world.

But I really believe that the time is coming when Internet access here will be more accessible, and when that time comes, these students will be some of the only journalists in the country with the latest skills in multimedia journalism. That gives me a lot of hope that soon the stories that come out of Congo will be told by Congolese people and not by foreign journalists.

Was there enough multimedia equipment there for you to use?

I collected donations of used digital cameras, video cameras, audio recorders, microphones, laptops, etc. for months before I came over, and so many people donated, so I ended up having an entire suitcase full of gear to donate to the university here.

Are you still accepting donations of equipment?

Yes, I'm still accepting donations[SJ4], although the equipment will have to be sent over with the next person who goes to Beni from the States since there is no shipping in or out of Congo.

Why is that?

There's literally no shipping or mail in the country that's reliable at all. My parents can't mail me a letter or a package here. There are no mailboxes or post offices in Beni, for example. Most shipments that come into the country have to be picked up at the border and trucked in by road.

That would be so different.

Yes, but it's amazing how you get used to it.

Have you suffered from power outages?

Yes, tons of power outages. Electricity at the school runs off a generator, and often the generator dies or runs out of fuel, and the university can't afford to buy more fuel or have it repaired.

How can you teach multimedia when there's no power?

It's been a huge problem for me in terms of teaching because I can't teach students how to edit audio or photos without computers, and I can't run the computers without power. I've had to be really creative to make things work here.

How have you been creative?

On the days when we don't have power, I try to send the students into town to shoot photos or record audio, but there have been days when I've had to cancel class completely because we need to spend class editing, and the power is out, so it's impossible. Those days are the worst. I feel so sorry for the students when that happens because they all want to learn, but because of something as basic as a lack of gasoline for the generator, they can't learn.

Are there any main projects that you have them work on?

Right now, the students are working on editing profile pieces on various workers in town — carpenters, cobblers, seamstresses, metalsmiths, mechanics, etc. They've had a lot of fun with it so far, and they're learning a ton about what makes a good interview, what constitutes good natural sound, what makes a good photograph, etc.

How did the website for your projects come into being?

When I decided to come to Congo, I knew I wanted to do more than just teach multimedia journalism. I wanted to give my students a venue where their work could be featured and seen by anyone in the world. The website [SJ5]was a way for others to track their progress and view their work and a way for the students to share their stories with the world.

What do your students think of the website?

In class, I often show them the latest additions to the site — their bios, their photos, their blog posts — and tell them that anyone in the world with a computer and Internet access can read about them and see what they're doing. It kind of blows their minds, I think, but it inspires them to produce good work at the same time.

When do you return home?

I fly out on May 1, so my last day of class will be April 30.

How long a flight is it?

Pretty damn long. There are only two flights per week out of Congo. I fly from Congo to Uganda, which is a couple of hours, then from Uganda to Cairo, which is 4 hours. Then from Cairo to Frankfurt and Frankfurt to Denver, and Denver back to Missoula.

Anne Medley in Congo Slideshow

Click on any of the images below to see a slideshow of photos by Anne Medley from North Kivu, April 12, 2010.

Click on the image that pops out or use your arrow keys to navigate the slideshow. Click outside the image to return to the article.