#defyhatenow South Sudan is pleased to announce the first cohort of the Empowering Fact-checking in South Sudan (EFiSS), being delivered in partnership with and supported by Code for Africa (https://github.com/CodeForAfrica/) for interested content creators from across South Sudan.

This training will help participants gain knowledge and skills used by professional fact checkers, to enrich their work in multiple fields. They will learn new techniques and sources to check information to determine its accuracy and promote veracity in the public domain.

The fact checking skills can empower participants to combat the spread of misinformation and disinformation in South Sudan and beyond. The ultimate aim of this training is to help content creators and media organisations to practice fact checking in South Sudan.

Selected participants who complete this training will have the opportunity to be mentored by both local and international Fact-checkers to help establish a local fact checking outfit and become officially a partner with 211 Check.

Ochaya Jackson Amos

Communications Specialist

Juba, Central Equatoria

Ochaya Jackson Amos is a Journalist and Communication Specialist. He is an honest meticulous individual with experiences in media practices, and working in a multicultural environment with rigorous performance standards. He has expertise in research and international communication.

Jackson holds a Diploma in Communication and Public Relations from the University of Juba, and an advanced certificate in Journalism from the Media Development Institute. Currently, he is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Development Communication at the University of Juba.

Kepa Benjamin Edward

Broadcast Journalist, 

Access Radio, Yei

Kepa Benjamin Edward is an extensive journalist, administrator,  social  Media manager, speaker, music analyst and a young entrepreneur. Kepa works to cover stories that transform communities while encouraging freedom of speech to all.

As the host for Our community, Youth Zone, Weekend Drive and the South Sudan Jams Kepa is well known for his powerful voice as a broadcast journalist for Radio Easter and Access Radio in Yei. He has bridged himself as a public figure and youth influencer at a very young age. He graduated from the Nkumba University of Kampala Uganda with a Diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication.

James Okongo

Program Manager, CCEWO

Yambio, Western Equatoria

James Okongo Alphonce is a programme manager at Consultation Center for Empowerment and Welfare Organisation (CCEWO).

He holds a diploma in Monitoring and Evaluation from the Catter Institute in Kampala and is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Project Planning and Management at the Nexus International University College in Kampala, Uganda.

He is passionate about information and its ecosystem.

Emmanuel Wani Yusif

Student at MDI

Emmanuel Wani Yusif is a student Journalist pursuing an Advanced Certificate in Journalism at Media Development Institute (MDI), He is also a trained teacher with more than 3 years of working experience.

Wani is an excellent communicator with good writing, analytical and reports writing skills who always remain productive whenever under pressure with the ability to prioritize issues.

He can work collaboratively with a team and different groups of people to achieve the desired outcomes.

William Afani Paul

MEAL, Save the Children, Kapoeta

William Afani Paul currently works as MEAL Officer with Save the International in Kapoeta field office. William has a passion for M&E. He has over two years of experience in Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning. His major responsibilities include designing and implementing the M&E activities of the Project; assisting the Project Manager in preparing Quarterly/Annual reports on project progress, monitoring the project activities on a regular basis, developing and maintaining the MIS of the Project and collecting & analysing different data in relation to the project activities. WILLIAM AFANI PAUL is a graduate with Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources and Management from Star International University College, Juba-South Sudan.

Esther Tabu Natalino

Presenter, Radio Easter, Yei

Esther Tabu Natalino is a media practitioner (a presenter), a social worker, and a trainer. She was the program manager at Radio Easter 94 FM Yei and as well as the Administrative Assistant.

Esther is self-motivated & a hardworking person with the ability for personal initiative. A proven leader, Excellent interpersonal and communicator in working with diverse communities, effective time manager.

Esther currently works with Women for Women International as the economic empowerment trainer. Empowering women on how they can earn a living. She graduated from Nkumba University in Entebbe, Uganda with a certificate and a Diploma in Tourism Operations Management.

Kiiko Nadiya Suzan

Communication Manager

MSF, Juba, South Sudan

Kiiko Nadiya Suzan currently works at MSF Communications department in Juba, She joined MSF as Communications officer in 2013 until 2016 and rejoined in 2019 and since 2020 she has been promoted to communications manager where she currently fulfills her responsibilities.

Before joining MSF, Kiiko had gained experiences in the media and communications role with few other national and international organizations NGOs and with media institutions like Bakhita radio where she was a presenter. She is a graduate of law (LLB) and training certificate in Journalism

Doki Simon James

Medical Doctor, Maridi, WES

Doki Simon James is a medical doctor, professional teacher and an entrepreneur currently working with health projects management and also a  lecturer at Maridi Health sciences institute. He possess great experiences working with educational and health care systems in South Sudan since 2016 as a government civil servant and also with humanitarian organizations. He possess strong leadership capabilities and had been engaged in policy decisions making at various levels of educational and health services delivery. He is a good communicator, hard working, mentor and team leader, problem solver with logical and constructive reasoning always seeking for solutions. He graduated from University of Juba in 2015 in the college of medicine with the award of Bachelor of medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (M.B.B.S).

Joseph Athian

Content Producer, BBC Media Action

Aweil, NBGS

Joseph Athian is working with BBC Media Action as a content producer of ‘Our School’ radio programme for Girls Education South Sudan – GESS II, that aims at addressing barriers that hinder girl child education and children with disabilities in South Sudan.

Prior to joining the BBC Media Action, Joseph worked with Abyei FM as a producer and programme host, as well as managing the official facebook page of Abyei Radio & Information Service – AIRS. Before working for AIRS, he worked for The Radio Community – TRC as broadcast journalist for Akol Yam FM in Aweil and later transferred to Mayardit FM in Twic County, Warrap State where he worked for four years.

With more than 6 years’ experience, Joseph started his journalism career with Talk of Juba, a South Sudanese online youth media as a contributor before joining The Dawn Newspaper as a reporter. His areas of interest in reporting include business and health among others. He is a trained journalist and holds a Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Cavendish University, Uganda.

Daniel Mabior Kuereng

Freelance Journalist, Juba

Daniel Mabior Kuereng is a freelance journalist, multimedia lab assistant, data collection specialist, communication specialist and social media manager with over three years of experience in Journalism and Communications.

He is a multitasker, resourceful, flexible and creative journalist with a commitment to high quality of research and writing while maintaining a positive attitude and strong professional ethics. He is a great communicator and storyteller who can report facts as well as an excellent track record as a freelance journalist in print and digital media to feed the public with accurate news.

He graduated from the University of Juba with a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication

Daniel Garang Deng

Radio and Print Journalist

97.5FM, Torit, EES

Daniel Garang Deng is a radio and print Journalist with more than four years of experience.

He wors with The Voice of Eastern Equatoria State Radio 97.5 FM and a freelance contributor with The Insider South Sudan- a weekly online investigative media platform. Daniel Garang is a student journalist at the Media Development Institute.

Riak Yai Gatkuoth

Digital Archivist, Juba

Riak Yai Gatkuoth is a highly trained and qualified Information & Knowledge Management Specialist, Digital Archivist/Librarian, Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning and with more than 8 years of working experience capable of leading organizations in Data, Information & Knowledge management strategies, research, and fostering corporate knowledge sharing culture.

He is an industrious professional, continuous learner, an outgoing person always seeking opportunities for growth and development and he’s a delight in a challenge.

Riak Yai has in the past two years had initiated a consultancy firm which he named INFORMATION 4 DEVELOPMENT (I4D SOUTH SUDAN) whose area of expertise are focused on humanitarian and developmental research more particularly on education e.g. libraries, archives, museums advocacy, and MEAL Consultancy for both humanitarian and developmental agencies in South Sudan.

He currently holds an Academic post as an Assistant Librarian at the University of Juba attached to Law’s Library western campus.

Conclusion:

The training sessions will be delivered online via Google Meet.

Participants will have access to presentations and session recordings to introduce basic fact checking concepts.

Participants will also participate in a WhatsApp group and Google Classroom learning setting, led by 211 Check Mentors, who will guide them through up to several hours of self-directed learning and locally-led discussion.

The programme is designed to include a combination of modular step-by-step lessons, alongside peer mentoring. Trainees will use their new skills and tools to produce real world fact-checks or newsroom management assignments using 211 Check’s task-driven ‘learn-by-doing’ model.

Trainees will also be given the opportunity to launch new fact-checking projects for their organisations, with additional technical support from 211 Check’s network of editorial and technology experts.

#defyhatenow South Sudan is pleased to announce the trainers of the Empowering Fact-checking in South Sudan (EFiSS), a program being delivered in partnership with and supported by Code for Africa for interested content creators from across South Sudan.

They will train participants on the following:

Fact-checking basics: Understanding fact-checking methodology & taxonomy, and fact-checking techniques using a range of specialized tools.

Audience Engagement: Understanding how to create unique topics/themes for specific audiences, and how to build audience engagement and feedback systems.

Production systems: Understanding how to design editorial/research workflow processes, tooling and staffing strategies, for streamlined integration into an organization’s wider production processes.

Policy frameworks: Understanding how to apply international ethical and professional guidelines for quality assurance and industry accreditation, with special emphasis on applying the International Fact-Checking Network’s (IFCN) Code of Principles.

Robert Arik

Ethical Hacker and Team Leader, SafetyComm 

Juba, South Sudan

Robert Arik is an Ethical Hacker / Pentester who is an organized and dependable, resourceful, and very flexible person with over two (02) years of experience in digital security. He is a computer science graduate from St. Paul’s University, Kenya, Ethical Hacking and Information Security from Riara University.

Security+, CCNA, Network Security Specialist, Practical Ethical Hacking by TCM SECURITY, and Android Basics from Google are some certifications he is holding.

He leads the SafetyComm project at #defyhatenow South Sudan, an Online Community/Platform that provides tools, methodologies and resources on the online safety of social media users in South Sudan.

Joseph Ngor Deng Matem

Broadcast Journalist

Aweil, Northern Bahr-el-Ghazal State

Joseph Ngor Deng Matem is a broadcast journalist with eight years of media management and broadcast journalism experience. He has worked as a Broadcast Journalist for The Radio Community-managed radio stations in South Sudan with Internews. In 2015, he covered the South Sudan peace talks in Addis Ababa.

In 2015, Joseph attended media development and management training in the United Kingdom – London. He is also an Alumnus of the 2021 Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders Initiative, where he was affiliated with Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York, where he virtually completed a six-week Leadership in Public Management training program.

Joseph Ngor Deng Matem is also a Freelance Journalist who writes news stories for both online and print publications/media, most notably Number One Citizen Daily English Newspaper and Talk of Juba Media.

David Uku

Journalist and Cultural Actor

Juba, South Sudan

David Uku is a highly motivated and focused individual with extensive experience coordinating and assisting multinational teams, including journalists, and has since applied as a specialist in Cultural and investigation reporting.

He once worked as a reporter, columnist, and editor of the Cultural Page at the Renaissance Magazine Caulomic, an offline magazine, as well as other publications such as the Sout El Saab Daily Arabic Newspaper, El-Wehda Arabic Newspaper, and Almaugif Arabic Newspaper. By training, he is a journalist, and by practice, he is a Cultural Actor.

Emmanuel Bida Thomas

211 Check Project Coordinator

#defyhatenow South Sudan

Emmanuel Bida Thomas leads and manages 211 Check, a fact-checking and information verification platform (flagship project of) #defyhatenow South Sudan.

He also manages his personal Bida News Blog, a site about current affairs, fact-checks and media accuracy. He previously served as a news reporter and digital editor for Equator Broadcasting Corporation (EBC) and helped launch a Social Media presence (Facebook and Twitter) for the station in 2020. He formerly was managing editor at South Sudan Exposed a subsidiary of Remia Technologies.

He trains on fact-checking and information verification, teaches internet research, social media management and marketing, and google productivity tools in Juba, South Sudan.

His recent projects include ‘Data Speaks Fellowship’ and ‘Empowering Fact-checking in South Sudan.’ Bida’s current work focuses on the role of content creators and citizens in the changing media landscape and the promotion of veracity and accuracy of the information in the public domain. Bida tweets at @Bidal_Thomas.

Conclusion:

Participants will have the privilege to meet and engage the training facilitators (trainers) at the end of each session. This will be a Q&A session and further engagement.