By Kaiya Laguardia-Yonamine
When I started my internship at Joy News, I was pretty intimidated at first. Being completely new to Ghana, I had no idea where to start. Where would I find my sources within a month? How do I know if Joy or other newsrooms have already told this story some years ago? What if that angle is overdone, or even sounds ignorant due to my limited understanding of the place I just got to?
Thankfully, all of those worries went away after the first week. Once I got into the groove of things and got closer to my coworkers, it got busy. I am extremely grateful to my supervisor, Dzivenu, and our team for really letting me in and supporting me every step of the way.
From those five weeks, I have a total of five feature stories that are either published or almost ready for publication. So, here’s a general recap to look forward to (someday):
Talking Trotro
This was my first feature for the internship on trotros, Ghana’s most used and convenient form of transportation. Each trotro van has its own unique inscriptions and symbols created by the drivers, and I had the opportunity to interview trotro drivers about the reasons and inspirations behind these subtle messages.
Anani Memorial School
This story follows Kofi Anane, a local village chief and principal of Anani Memorial International School. This elementary school mainly serves orphans and children on the streets of Maamobi, but is currently struggling to stay afloat. My classmates and I had visited the school during our first week in Ghana, and I had the chance to return to its campus and help share their story of advocacy for children with little access to education.
Boxing in Ghana
Following the passing of a boxer in the ring earlier this year, the Ghana Boxing Authority is undergoing a revamp of policies, protocols, and leadership to prioritize safety. However, this complete pause on fights has left current professional athletes in the dark, unable to earn an income and resorting to other ways to sustain themselves. For this story, I collaborated with my coworker Kalani and the Joy Sports team, talking with professional boxers and coaches to understand the impacts these pauses have.
Ahanta Language Preservation
While Twi is the most spoken Indigenous language due to its connection to the Ashanti Kingdom, Ghana is home to over 80 languages, and many of them are becoming extremely endangered. This story follows the people of Ahanta West, an Indigenous community in the Southwestern region of Ghana, as they work to protect Ahanta from being lost forever. I am honored to have met MP Bissue through this process, Ahanta West’s first female legislator in history, and a lead advocate for language preservation in schools.
Busy Billboards
Last but not least, I worked on a story about one of the most common sights in Ghana: billboards. There are billboards literally everywhere across the country, in all shapes and sizes, and they advertise virtually anything. But it almost seems like a waste of time or space; people don’t pay attention anymore because there are simply too many to look at. This story questions the amount and regulations for this extremely popular practice in Ghana, and examines whether it has gone too far.
Every day, I was either filming, scripting, editing, recording voice-overs, or meeting up with more sources. Whether I was out on my own projects or filming for another reporter’s feature, there was always something new to do. And honestly, I think I learned the most about Ghana through that on-site practice: interviewing new people, going to different regions, and asking my coworkers questions as we ventured around. I am so grateful for this chance to really learn by doing, and am excited to see these stories air soon.