TrustLaw is the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s global pro bono legal service that helps journalists and CSOs navigate legal challenges such as censorship, defamation risks, contracts, and press freedom violations, especially in regions where legal threats against the press and advocacy groups are on the rise.
Rachael Abujah, a public health journalist and TRF facilitator, led sessions on storytelling formats like WhatsApp Q&As, infographics, and short videos to simplify complex health topics for low-literacy audiences. She encouraged participants to build trust with affected communities and advocate for inclusive health systems.
The workshop spotlighted grassroots innovation, from mobile HIV clinics in Sierra Leone’s fishing communities to WhatsApp-based TB contact tracing in Nigeria’s rural areas. Participants, like Hafsat Abdulhamid, a TB survivor from Northern Nigeria, emphasised the power of first-hand reporting in humanising health inequities.
For Esther Kadie Tarawally, a journalist from Sierra Leone, the training was transformative. “I used to think health journalism was all about figures and case counts. Now I see it as a platform to give voice to the voiceless.” She said she plans to launch a TikTok-based awareness campaign on HIV self-testing for girls in her community.
Benjamin Tenkorang, a Ghanaian digital content designer, highlighted how tools like podcasts and local language voice notes via WhatsApp are helping young people spread maternal and sexual health information in hard-to-reach communities.
Nigerian journalist Promise Eze shared how ethnic abuse and editorial pushback affected his reporting on health and identity issues in the South-East. Yet, he remains committed to using storytelling as a tool for social change.
Chibudem Joseph, a Nigerian participant, said the sessions helped him reconnect with the ethical foundation of health journalism. “We must look beyond press releases and numbers, and bring the human face of health issues to the forefront,” he said.
Sammy Awami, an experienced journalist with the BBC Swahili from Tanzania, urged participants to embrace storytelling as a tool not just for reporting facts but for driving social change.
On his part, TRF Programme Director, Cosmas Miguel Tabuche, reiterated the importance of collaboration: “If we want universal health coverage to be more than a slogan, then we need every reporter, every CSO, and every youth leader on the frontlines of this storytelling revolution.”
As the workshop closed, participants pledged to elevate underreported health issues, strengthen media–CSO collaboration, and apply for mini-grants to support joint storytelling initiatives.
