Special focus

“I think I’m readier to work in journalism,” says Maryam Rayed.
Rayed has successfully completed two rounds of training spread over four months that was conducted by The Killid Group (TKG).
The training organised in partnership with the Asia Foundation is intended to raise the journalistic skills of women in order to ensure they find work in media organisations in the country.
Women applicants to the course have to show a bachelor degree in journalism as well as interest in working in the media apart from passing a written examination. In the first phase, TKG trained 32 women from seven provinces – Kabul, Herat, Balkh, Nangarhar, Khost, Ghazni and Kandahar – for four months. Rayed, a graduate from Kabul University, secured a spot after passing the entrance exam for the course.
She says she jumped at the opportunity to train with TKG since she always had an interest in “cultural activities” from class five in school. “I was an announcer at many school events,” she says. She had also worked with different media organisations, experiences that taught her that only with professional training could she hope to be a successful journalist.
“When I got to know about the TKG training programme I thought this is a good opportunity to get the training that I need to be able to find better work in the media,” she adds.
Students were divided into four groups. Each group was trained in reporting, news writing, producing programmes and learning computer applications that are used by the media.
Rayed says that while she found the training in computers the most important, the practical training she got in news production and radio programmes were equally useful.
Reflecting on her skill levels before and after the training she is honest enough to admit, “I think I’m readier to work in journalism.”
She believes she now has the courage to handle every assignment she may be given.
Eight of the 32 students in her class have already found jobs in different media and the second phase of the training has started with 30 journalism graduates from six provinces – Kabul, Balkh, Nangarhar, Khost and Kandahar – being selected. Unfortunately Ghazni province had to be excluded because of security fears.