Msc Human Rights, 2005
Country Director (Sudan), BBC World Service Trust
"There are so many opportunities out there for LSE graduates"
LSE
I had been working in the field of human rights for a few years, but I felt that I needed more sound knowledge on the topic especially from a legal point of view. I wasn't interested in doing a law degree per se, but definitely wanted to know more about human rights law. LSE's Human Rights programme is an inter-disciplinary one where I was able to take classes in Sociology, Development and Law. This was the best fit for me as I was able to interact with professors and students from different disciplines.
Thanks to the dissertation I was able to write at LSE, I was awarded a Global Youth Fellowship from the Walter and Duncan Gordon Foundation in Canada to make a documentary film on the topic of Canadian gold mining and human rights in Ghana. The knowledge and experiences I gained at LSE definitely helped my career. London also offered me great resources in my field and I have been calling it one of my homes ever since.
My aspirations haven't changed since I left LSE - I wanted to continue working in the field of media and human rights and find challenging projects to work on. Although setbacks will occur, there are so many opportunities out there for LSE graduates that one will always find the right place. LSE definitely taught me how to multi-task and be involved in many projects at once - something I have definitely continued since graduation.
It was a very dynamic year and I only wish the programme lasted longer. I made incredible friends from everywhere and many have since also stayed to work and live in London. Not many seem able to leave!
Career path
Prior to attending LSE, I worked for four years in the non-profit sector in the field of media and development in Africa. In 2002 I co-founded a NGO called Journalists for Human Rights (JHR) which aims to raise awareness about human rights issues in Africa through local media.
While at LSE, I worked part-time at the BBC World Service for their French Africa section-this was a way for me to expand my knowledge of international media while learning about human rights as part of my studies, and still earning a bit of money.
After graduation I worked for ARTICLE 19 a UK-based NGO working in the field of freedom of expression. I then left for Sudan in 2005 to work with the United Nations Mission in Sudan where I helped found the country's first independent radio station. I then returned to London to work as a Radio Producer for the BBC World Service French Africa section. During my time there, I was also awarded a Global Youth Fellowship from the Walter and Duncan Gordon Foundation in Canada to make a documentary film on the issue of Canadian mining and human rights in Ghana, a follow-up to the dissertation I wrote at LSE.
My film When Silence is Golden was completed in November 2007 and screened in London, New York, France and across Canada. I then returned to Sudan to work with the NGO branch of the BBC, the BBC World Service Trust where I am currently its Country Director.
Current job
I am currently working in Sudan (based in Khartoum) as Country Director for the BBC World Service Trust. The BBC WST is an international charity, independently funded from the BBC, which uses media as a tool for promoting human rights, good governance and alleviating poverty. Its flagship project in Sudan, Darfur Lifeline, has provided internally displaced people in Darfur with essential information about health and humanitarian issues through a daily radio programme.
Sudan is at a turning point in its history and it's fascinating to witness it first-hand. The work is very challenging and perhaps never ending, but also very gratifying. I do strongly believe that media is a crucial tool for change in post-conflict areas such as in Southern Sudan and can definitely contribute to helping local populations affected by war. We now have a number of other important projects underway, such as building the capacity of local media ahead of the national 2009 elections. I am overseeing all of the operations of the BBC WST in Sudan, managing its staff, coordinating donor relations and creating new projects.
There are tremendous administrative and logistical obstacles to work in Sudan and in many other parts of Africa.; visas, travel around the country, political instability, etc. But it's all worth the hard work-we helped a new local radio station in South Sudan start from scratch and they are now broadcasting essential programmes for women and other social issues. Local communities had never had access to such a platform for discussion and learning before.
Future plans
I will probably be in Sudan for another year or so-I definitely would like to continue the work I have been doing in this field whether with the BBC or as a consultant. I would also like to make a second documentary film in Sudan-topic to be announced at a later date!
Tips for LSE students
I think that doing an internship or having a job in a relevant field while studying at LSE is a bonus. It helps put your studies in perspective and also opens doors after graduation.