AU Media Fellowship Mentors 2023-2024

With 15 years of integrated international work experience, Chaacha has shown expertise in executive management and board relations, policy engagement, research translation, and advocacy. A decade of this experience was spent at senior executive levels, including pivotal roles at the Standard Media Group (SMG) as Group Editorial Director, where he reversed consistent drops in circulation and turned SMG’s website into Kenya's most visited news site. With roles at global entities such as the Aga Khan Foundation, Thomson Foundation (UK), and Media Focus on Africa Foundation, Chaacha has significantly impacted public health, education, and conservation policy. His rich educational background, including an MBA from the prestigious University of St. Gallen in Switzerland and credentials from institutions like the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Nairobi, is a testament to his global perspective and rigorous academic training. Having directly influenced multiple policies in Kenya and Africa, worked on multi-million-dollar multi-country programmes, and been a part of teams raising more than USD 25 million, Chaacha's vast experience is invaluable. As an Independent International Communication and Leadership Consultant, he continues to shape narratives and strategies on a global stage.

2. Asma Abidi – Tunisia, Female
 

Asma Abidi has vast experience in journalism, media training, and content creation, with an impressive track record spanning the MENA region and Europe. She is an-award winning journalist who spent more than ten years covering human and political rights, migration, and gender rights. Her contributions appeared on several platforms such as Correspondents.org, BBC Arabic, Deutsche Welle Arabic, OpenDemocracy, The European Journalism Observatory and several platforms. Currently a Media Trainer and Mentor at Germany’s leading media development organization,DW Akademie, Berlin, she actively contributes to projects promoting the importance of the media in democratic transformations, digital journalism and media literacy. In her role, Asma supports the design and the delivery of capacity-building workshops as well as to mentoring journalists from several countries across MENA and Africa, guiding them to produce content that addresses pressing political and social issues. Among her core competencies are visual and digital storytelling, constructive journalism, journalism education, MoJo and fact-checking and verification in the digital age. She has been extensively training hundreds of journalists on leveraging the power of digital tools and open-source technologies to fight mis/disinformation, collaborating with Google News Initiative, UNESCO, ICFJ and others.

Abidi’s rich journalistic background is built on diverse professional experiences, including her role as a TV Producer with BBC Media Action in Tunis, where she assisted with post- revolution transition through training and collaborative content creation. As a Freelance Journalist, her writings shed light on critical issues like post-revolution transformations, youth challenges, gender rights, and migration. Asma's academic pursuits in International Media Studies in Bonn, Germany and her Engineering background from INSAT, Tunis, further amplify her integrated approach to her work. Notably, her multilingual proficiency in Arabic, English, French, German, and Italian ensures her ability to connect seamlessly with a global audience.

Asma is also a co-author of the book ‘’Unbias the News - Why diversity matters for journalism’’, a publication that highlights the experiences of several journalists across the globe in making journalism more inclusive and more representative of the different communities.

Beyond her work, Asma is a dedicated advocate for human rights, intersectional feminism, and social issues, underlined by her involvement in various humanitarian programs and workshops.

3. David Mukholi – Uganda

David Mukholi has a career spanning over three decades—his most notable role being managing editor for editorials at Vision Group. In this capacity, he provided strategic content direction across multiple platforms, from TV and radio to newspapers. Beyond overseeing daily operations, Mukholi's visionary leadership birthed transformative initiatives such as the "Let’s Talk Journalism" mentoring program and the landmark Vision Group Editorial Policy. His spearheading projects like Uganda's Best Farmers, Save Lake Victoria, and the memorable Uganda at 50 initiative underscores his commitment to quality journalism and community upliftment. David Mukholi has also held the associate consultant position in the media and communication role at the Uganda Management Institute in Kampala. Here, he seamlessly fused theoretical teachings with his rich newsroom experiences to provide postgraduate students with a holistic learning journey. Mukholi's influence stretches beyond Uganda, evidenced by his impactful publications and presentations at international workshops, including a comprehensive guide to Uganda's Constitution. His contributions have earned him numerous accolades, with the National Independence Medal and the award for coordinating Uganda at 50 media projects shining brightly among them.

4. Benon Oluka – Uganda

Benon Herbert Oluka is well versed in investigative journalism, with over 14 years of invaluable editorial experience that spans multiple continents, from Africa to the United Kingdom and South Africa. His professional trajectory has seen him in leading roles at the Global Investigative Journalism Network and the BBC. Having served as the Africa Editor and a Broadcast Journalist, respectively, Benon has not only reported on an eclectic mix of subjects - from war recovery to financial markets and climate change - but has also  successfully coordinated teams in high-stakes newsroom settings. His career is distinguished by numerous accolades, evidencing his commitment to producing insightful and transformative journalistic content. Benon's experiences extend beyond traditional journalism. He was pivotal in setting up a non-profit centre for investigative reporting called "The Watchdog", which spearheaded significant investigations in Uganda. He has also garnered international recognition, being chosen as a fellow for the Reuters’ Niall FitzGerald Prize for Young African Journalists, where he highlighted his expertise in generating market insights and covering events of global significance. As an alum of distinguished institutions like the University of Leeds and the University of the Witwatersrand, Benon possesses a solid academic foundation that complements his professional achievements.