Amina’s dream was to become a nurse. However, destiny would have it that she would be a renowned radio journalist. The Voice of America (VOA) Swahili Service correspondent based in Mombasa County was always a fan of radio and enjoyed listening to her favorite presenters on Pwani FM such as Omar Mwagao.
One day, while keenly listening to her favorite radio program during a call in session, she decided to play with destiny and sent in a text message that read “I want to be a radio presenter, how do I do that?” The courageous move she made would pay off as the radio station called her back and scheduled a meeting with her favorite presenter Omar Mwagao. This encounter would later steer her to pursue a career in Journalism.
“I went to Pwani FM and met one of my favorite presenters, Omar Mwagao, I asked him how I could join the Media Industry and he kindly advised me to go to school and learn about the craft of Journalism”, she said.
Taking advantage of the advice, Amina now has a Diploma in Journalism from Mombasa Aviation Training Institute. In 2008, she joined Radio Kaya in Kwale County as an intern for three months, learning how to produce and present radio shows. In November that year, she was hired as a radio presenter where she worked for seven years before leaving for the Voice of America (VOA) Swahili Service as a correspondent.
“The experience was good, being the first radio presenter from my village in Mwakirunge Mombasa County, I enjoyed the on and off air interactions with fans especially interviewing different people on the show which gave me a sense of accomplishment”, she added.
Amina says her inspiration for Journalism is in pursuing stories that bring about impact. This perhaps encapsulates her thirteen year career in Journalism. Her most rewarding experience as a journalist was when she covered a story on child abuse. As a result, the girls were rescued by education officers and allowed to continue with their education.
The Radio and Television journalist produces mainly health, gender and environmental stories. Amina has received several awards and was recognized for her hard work over the years in the region. Reach Out Media, an anti-drug organization based in the Coastal area awarded her as the 2020 Overall Journalist of the Year, humbled by the award, she praised the hard work and team effort.
With regard to challenges she faced in the media industry, Amina has not encountered any major challenges, except for issues of protocol when interviewing people in the Public Sector. Apart from being a celebrated journalist in the Coastal region, Amina volunteers her time at Samba Sports Youth Agenda, a community based organization in Kwale County. The Organization inspires and influences behavioural transformation in young boys and girls through Sport activities in order to prevent them from falling victim to drug usage, juvenile criminal behaviors, early pregnancies, forced laborers, trafficking and the HIV/AIDS scourge rampant in the area.
She also heads the Media and Public Relations department. Amina mentors girls against teenage pregnancies by encouraging them to stay in School in order to have a better future. A former girl mentored by Amina from a village in Kwale County performed well in her Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examinations and received the Wings to Fly Scholarship Program by Equity Bank to join High School.
Amina’s advice to anyone interested in pursuing Journalism is to start early. “Begin writing as early as possible” she emphasized. In the future, Amina hopes to own a production studio where she can continue to tell stories and further create impact in the society.
By: Leila Adam
