WanaData wins in 2020 — and what’s next
The network has seen rapid growth and recognition for excellent work on numerous collaborative projects across Africa.
WanaData, a pan-African network of women data scientists, journalists and technologists, achieved significant milestones in the civic tech and data industry in 2020 amid challenging circumstances during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Members of the network were recognised with multiple awards, and collaborated on numerous impactful projects across Africa.
In Uganda, WanaData members Lillian Namusoke Magezi and Cecilia Okoth both won awards at the Uganda National Journalism Awards for “Data Journalism” and “Explanatory reporting” respectively. Adding to the achievements, WanaData collaborated with InfoNile on ‘Sucked Dry’, a large multimedia report on water security and climate change in the Nile Basin region in Africa, which received the Best Data Visualisation Award at the WAN-IFRA African Digital Media Awards 2020. Plus, WanaData champion in South-South Nigeria, Ejiro Umukoro, was invited by UNESCO to speak at the World Youth Skills Day 2020 world event due to her series on youth development and outbreak stories.
WanaData work in 2020
The pandemic meant that WanaData meet-ups and training had to be fully online. It also presented an opportunity for us to launch ‘Outbreak’, a data-driven journalism project aimed at strengthening critical reporting around Covid-19-related issues across Africa — many of which affected women and minority groups.
Other projects included MapMakoko, InfoNile’s “Sucked Dry” series, and Twaweza, which focused on partnering with in-country organisations to mentor and train women to produce data-driven journalism on issues that directly affect them.
Outbreak: Africa’s Data Journalism Alliance Against Covid-19
The pandemic brought to light vulnerabilities within African countries and economies — often impacting women, children and minority groups most. The WanaData community worked extensively on Covid-19-related stories, and in cooperation with Code for Africa and the Pulitzer Centre on Crisis Reporting, community members published a selection of stories. Read some of these below:
Habibat Funmi Obadofin:
- The Impact of Covid-19 on Food Shortages and Nutrition on the Guardian Nigeria
- The Impact of Covid-19 in the Newsroom on the Guardian Nigeria
- Tales, Plights of PLWD in IDP Camps in Nigeria on the Guardian Nigeria
Lady Ejiro Umukoro:
- Amidst COVID-19, Nigeria sees increased sexual and gender violence on Premium Times
- Sexual and gender-based violence: Hidden social pandemic under the radar of COVID-19 lockdown’ on the Guardian Nigeria
- Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, the Hidden Social Pandemic under the Radar of COVID-19 Lockdown (Part 2) on the Guardian Nigeria and Premium Times.
- Child Protection: Broken Girls and Broken Boys — A Social Shadow Epidemic Trapped in Covid-19 Lockdown- (Part 1) on the Guardian Nigeria and Premium Times.
- Poor, Vulnerable, PWDs Left Behind As States Adopt Online Teaching’ on BoNews and Sahara Reporters.
Olatokewa Ayoade:
- The Economic Repercussion Of Coronavirus Pandemic On Nigerians on Kiss FM and TheFact Nigeria.
- The troubled suspected Covid-19 intermediary host on Piga Firimbi.
Anita Igbine:
- Water poverty in Nigeria: Effects and impacts of COVID-19 on The Guardian Nigeria.
MapMakoko: Drone mapping in Nigeria
Through Code for Africa’s MapMakoko project, 17 women were trained in drone mapping and data-driven reporting skills, which has led to the mapping of Makoko, a marginalised low-income neighbourhood in Lagos State, Nigeria. The impact of this project — funded by HOTOSM and the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting and supported by local NGO Makoko Dream — was published in many reputable mainstream media outlets across the world including Agency France Press, Pulitzer Center, Yahoo News, CNN, BBC, Aljazeera English, Urbanet, Guardian Nigeria, Deccan Herald, Devex and Pulse Nigeria.
Sucked Dry: Water security and climate change in East Africa
Code for Africa’s WanaData community and InfoNile co-produced a large multimedia report on water security and climate change in the Nile Basin region in Africa. The collaborative project, named ‘Sucked Dry’, involved women journalists in East Africa and won the Best Data Visualization Award at the WAN-IFRA African Digital Media Awards 2020. The full reportage was published by New Vision in Uganda and is available online.
Under the InfoNile Data Training and Mentorship Programme, facilitated by Code For Africa, journalists produced outstanding data journalism stories on water security, wildlife conservation and climate change in the Nile Basin region. A number of the stories are listed below.
- Saving the population of the rothschild giraffe in Kenya, Science Africa
- Kenyan Conservancies Unable To Pay Leased Land Amid Covid-19 Linked Drop-In Tourism Revenue, Talk Africa
Janet Murikira:
Twaweza: Women Data Journalism Project
Five WanaData members are currently working on 10 substantive media packages, with each consisting of journalistic reports, infographics and social media campaigns, that take an evidence-based look at how the pandemic impacted women and other vulnerable groups in Tanzania. Keep an eye out for these stories on Code for Africa’s social media profiles over the next month.
New chapters and local champions in 2020
The WanaData network expanded in 2020, adding two new chapters in Dakar and Yaounde. The two new communities started their activities in August 2020 and have already recorded 28 women working together, attending online training events, and expanding their skill sets.
This was made possible through the work of new local champions who manage the WanaData communities on a daily basis and facilitate connections within Code for Africa’s network of partners.
The new WanaData coordinators include:
- Christelle Tankeu is a data analyst and trainer at Code for Africa as well as the community coordinator for Hacks/Hackers and WanaData in Yaoundé, Cameroon. She is a computer scientist who is passionate about data analysis with experience in technology community management and web development.
- Nadia Lawson is a data analyst and trainer at Code for Africa as well as the community coordinator for Hacks/Hackers and WanaData in Dakar, Senegal. She is a journalist specialising in finance reporting and is passionate about women entrepreneurship and empowerment. Previously, she worked with women in rural areas to train them in the management of their small business, and how to use data for decision-making.
- Victoria Omomhenle is a data analyst and WanaData community coordinator with Code for Africa, Nigeria. She works with the team to unlock civic governance, transform the use of data for improved journalism, and simplifying complex processes and community service. She is passionate about making a positive social impact in Africa and is focused on educating women to be more receptive to technology.
- Stephanie Nekesa Wamalwa is a data analyst and trainer at Code for Africa as well as the community coordinator for Hacks/Hackers and WanaData Kenya. She is a legal professional, passionate about data analysis, drones and data projects. She has experience in social youth engagements, health and project coordination.
What’s next?
As 2020 wraps up, the WanaData network still has a number of exciting opportunities for members of the community for the end of this year and moving into 2021. Some of these include:
- A series of webinars and roundtable discussions with prominent guests from the fields of data journalism, information design and data science — who will join us to share their experience with the WanaData community. The first one is scheduled for October 20 2020 on Google Meet and Mukami Purity’s deep-dive into #FinCEN investigations. You can sign up for the event and will receive the link to join the event. RSVP: https://bit.ly/2Ixf9c9
- These include data journalism fellowships and workshops on deforestation in Central Africa in partnership with Global Forest Watch and the World Resource Institute, from 2020–2021.
- New online training on fact-checking in collaboration with our fact-checking continental initiative PesaCheck.
- A new round of micro-grants on water security in collaboration with Code for Africa’s partner InfoNile, which will include financial support for journalism projects and online mentorship by CfA’s data experts.
- New data and training on our African Gender Gap calculator, based on the research by the World Economic Forum.
- A large data investigation on human trafficking and slavery in Africa, led by editorial lead Raeesa Pather, and supported by Code for Africa’s iLab project manager and data expert Tricia Govindasamy
- A new round of fellowships for Nigerian women journalists to report on maternal health, in cooperation with Maternal Figures
About WanaData
WanaData is a pan-African network of women data scientists, journalists and technologists aimed to produce and promote data-driven projects while applying digital technologies in storytelling. Founded in 2017 as an initiative by pan-African impact accelerator Code for Africa, the network is now in nine cities on the continent with 90 women driven by journalism, technology and data science for social good.
The primary aim of WanaData is turbo-boosting a network of women by deepening expertise in tech, data science and journalism, and connecting them with experts and thought leaders from the continent and beyond. It is also to amplify women’s voices and provide opportunities to fast-track their careers.
WanaData is managed by women for women, with CfA’s project managers and data analysts Tricia Govindasamy, Adaugo Onyebuchi and Esther Ndagire, alongside their team of data analysts, designers and storytellers working closely with the network.
Want to be involved in WanaData?
Do you want to know more about WanaData activities and opportunities? Keep your eyes on the WanaData.africa website, follow us on Twitter (hashtag: #WanaData), LinkedIn, Facebook, and apply to join the community here.
Code for Africa is hiring! Check out our opportunities page.
