Doctors Without Borders Fellowship for Journalists in Southern Africa and India 2018

Doctors Without Borders (MSF, in French) is inviting applications for a Doctors Without Borders Fellowship that will send one Indian journalist to Southern Africa and one Southern African journalist to India to dig deeper into issues of access to healthcare.

Application Deadline: 16th May 2018

Eligible Countries: Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Swaziland, South Africa and India

To Be Taken At (Country): Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Swaziland, South Africa and India

About the Award: Doctors Without Borders / Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international, independent, medical humanitarian organisation that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural and man-made disasters and exclusion from healthcare in more than 65 countries.

For the first time, MSF Southern Africa and MSF India are inviting applications for the “Doctors Without Borders Fellowship”. The fellowship will fully fund reporting assignments for one South African and one Indian journalist who can demonstrate the potential for incisive and original reporting.

The MSF Media Fellowship aims at building or strengthening rapport with the media stakeholders in South Africa and to promote a greater practical understanding of issues surrounding access to essential medicines related to ongoing reforms in intellectual property legislation.  It also provides journalists access to MSF field projects locally and internationally as well as research and civil society partners for a deeper understanding of the issues.

Type: Fellowship (Professional)

Eligibility: Applicants for the Doctors Without Borders Fellowship should be:

• Professional journalists, including freelancers, working in print, television or online media in South Africa.
• Applicants must demonstrate a minimum of three to four years of professional experience of covering health, business, the pharmaceutical industry, intellectual property related issues, public policy and/or related issues.

Number of Awards: Not specified

Value of Award: The Doctors Without Borders Fellowship programme will cover international and local travel costs, accommodation, interpreters, daily support expenses as well as production costs. The funds will either be disbursed in weekly instalments or once off. It is mandatory to produce and submit actual bills and invoices for all the expenditure incurred.

Duration of Programme: 4 weeks

How to Apply: Interested journalists for the Doctors Without Borders Fellowship should send the following the documents with their application

• 2-page Curriculum Vitae along with a cover letter
• Copies of the previous reporting on health or IP issues
• Crucially, applicants have to deliver a strong proposal demonstrating some initial research and story angles outlining their possible focus area while in India and how it is linked to the in South Africa (700-word proposal)
• Letter of recommendation from the professional referee (other than the editor) detailing the applicant’s journalistic abilities and aptitude for the fellowship.
• Applicants must provide a ‘letter of support’ from the editor of their current employer/editor assuring Fellows time/leave for 4 weeks and agreeing to publish the articles written by the Fellows in their publication. Freelancers must also provide a supporting letter from the editor of a publication agreeing to use the articles
• Applicants must have at least a national diploma or degree in Journalism, media or communications
• Applicants should have a valid passport

Please submit your cover note, proposals and scan the documents to the attention of Angela Makamure

Email: DL-JNB-Joburg-Press@joburg.msf.org not later than 16 May 2018

Visit the Programme Webpages for Details. Click here or here.

Award Providers: Doctors Without Borders Fellowship is sponsored by Doctors Without Borders.