Mashirima Kapombe's touching story earns her Sh200k & an international award

Citizen TV journalist Mashirima Kapombe was named a winner of the 2021 African Journalists Gender Equality Awards.

The Awards ceremony were held on Wednesday October in Nairobi by FEMNET which is an African Women’s Development and Communication Network.

Mashirima won the Ending Violence Against Women and Girls category for her story named Halfway Haven.

“The top five (5) award winners will receive $2,000 (Sh221,700) cash voucher to support their media work between November and December 2021.

“They will also be supported to attend and report on one of the following policy influencing spaces in 2022 (1.) African Union Summit (2.) CSW66 (3.) ICPD 56 and (4.) COP27. Five (5) first runners-up will receive mentorship opportunities while five (5) second runners-ups will be showcased in a publication, online platform, and awards ceremony,” reads a statement on FEMNET’s website.

The story featured many women such as Halima Atieno who is a gender-based violence survivor who was rescued by a woman who found her stranded in the street with a one-year-old baby in her hand.

The good samaritan was also a GBV survivor who took Halima and her child to a shelter which took her in.

Unfortunately, the child died one week after they were admitted to the shelter. She received a cash donation of Sh20,000 to start life afresh.

“I fell into depression, felt like I had lost everything and went back to the shelter. The women at the shelter were like family, we are there for one another. You feel you are not alone,” Halima told Mashirima.

A study by the national crime research centre shows that at least 71% of GBV cases reported between January and June 2020 were female victims, translating to 10 females daily.

There are 42 shelters housing GBV victims in the country. 36 are privately owned and only six are run by the government.

At the shelters, the women stay for 1-3 months undergoing counselling, seeking medical treatment & learning crafts that will help them sustain themselves once they leave