WELL, SPEAKING OF THE VOICE OF AMERICA, WE BROADCAST IN MORE THAN 40 LANGUAGES AROUND
THE WORLD.
IN AFRICA, WE CAN BE HEARD IN SEVERAL LANGUAGES, INCLUDING ENGLISH AND ONE
OF VOA'S ENGLISH TV PROGRAMS IS THE NEWSMAGAZINE SHOW -- AFRICA 54...
A SHOW NOT UNLIKE OUR OWN SHOW ON ASSIGNMENT, IN MANY WAYS .... AND THE HOST OF AFRICA 54
IS VINCENT MAKORI.
I GOT THE CHANCE TO CHAT WITH VINCENT ABOUT THE SHOW AND HOW
IT CONNECTS WITH VIEWERS ACROSS THE CONTINENT.
CHECK IT OUT.
HELLO AND WELCOME, I'M VINCENT MAKORI AND THIS IS AFRICA 54.
AFRICA 54 IS A NEWS MAGAZINE PROGRAM.
THE PROGRAM HAS, IS A MIX OF BIG NEWS, ANALYSIS OF THE NEWS OF THE DAY, BUT ALSO NICE FEATURES
AND PACKAGES THAT LOOK INTO SOME UNIQUE
DEVELOPMENTS ON THE CONTINENT.
IT COULD BE ECONOMIC ISSUES, SOCIAL ISSUES.
VOA'S MARIAMA DIALLO TAKES A LOOK.
ONE OF THE THEMES OF THIS YEAR'S OBSERVANCE OF WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY IS THE MEDIA'S
IMPORTANCE.
SO WHEN PEOPLE HEAR THIS NAME AFRICA 54, WHAT DOES THE 54 STAND FOR?
WELL 54 STANDS FOR THE AFRICAN COUNTRIES.
THERE ARE OFFICIALLY 54 AFRICAN COUNTRIES, MEMBERS OF THE AFRICA UNION.
AND THAT INCLUDES SOUTH SUDAN, RIGHT?
WHICH IS THE NEW COUNTRY.
EXACTLY, THAT INCLUDES SOUTH SUDAN.
YES.
SO IF ANOTHER COUNTRY COMES ALONG YOU MIGHT HAVE TO CHANGE IT TO AFRICA 55.
MAYBE WE'LL HAVE TO CHANGE TO AFRICA 55, YOU JUST HOPE THAT THE COUNTRY IS NOT GOING TO
BE DISINTEGRATING INTO SO MANY OTHER COUNTRIES.
ABSOLUTELY, EXACTLY.
LET IT STAY INTACT FOR NOW.
TELL US ABOUT THE TEAM THAT WORKS ON AFRICA 54 AND WHAT GOES INTO PUTTING THE PROGRAM
TOGETHER.
IT'S A FABULOUS TEAM.
YOU CAN SAY THAT ALMOST EVERYBODY WHO IS REPORTING ON AFRICA AND WHO IS DOING AN ENGLISH REPORT
OR PROGRAMING IS ALMOST WORKING WITH US.
SO WE START
WITH THE CORRESPONDENCE ON THE GROUND, ALMOST ON A DAILY BASIS WE'RE GETTING GOOD REPORTS
FROM WEST AFRICA, FROM EAST AFRICA, FROM SOUTHERN AFRICA, FROM OUR GREAT AND
COURAGEOUS REPORTERS.
FOR MORE ON THE MISSING SCHOOL GIRLS, VOA'S HEATHER MADDOCK JOINS US FROM NIGERIA'S CAPITAL,
ABUJA, HEATHER HI...
AND THEN HERE IN WASHINGTON DC WE HAVE A FABULOUS SMALL TEAM BUT WE DO WONDERFUL JOB COVERING
STORIES THAT ARE RELEVANT TO OUR VIEWERS IN AFRICA.
JOINING US NOW IS AFRICA 54 HEATH CORRESPONDENT, LINORD MOUDOU, HELLO VINCENT, HELLO EVERYONE.
HELLO VINCENT, HELLO EVERYONE.
MORE THAN 60 PEOPLE HAVE DIED AFTER DRINKING FROM A BATCH OF ILLEGAL LIQUOR IN KENYA.
WE'VE EVALUATING THAT VERY CLOSELY.
ONE OF YOUR RECENT NOTABLE GUESTS WAS SECRETARY OF STATE JOHN KERRY, YOU HAD A CHANCE TO INTERVIEW
HIM.
YES
TELL US ABOUT THAT AND WHAT STRUCK YOU ABOUT WHAT HE SAID?
IT WAS VERY VERY INTERESTING INTERVIEWING HIM AND I THINK IT WAS AN HONOR.
WHAT I CAN SAY STRIKE ME ABOUT HIM IS THAT HE SHOWED PASSION FOR THE CONTINENT OF AFRICA.
WE
SPOKE ABOUT SO MANY THINGS, INCLUDING THE CONFLICT IN SOUTH SUDAN AND THE CENTRAL AFRICAN
REPUBLIC AND THE TERRORIST ATTACKS IN NIGERIA AND EAST AFRICA.
WHAT IS THE U.S. DOING RIGHT NOW TO HELP THAT COUNTRY?
WELL WE'RE WORKING WITH OUR ALLIES AND WITH OUR PARTNERS AND FRIENDS.
WE'VE BEEN PROVIDING ASSISTANCE, WE'VE BEEN PROVIDING DIRECT LIFT, AIRCRAFT OTHERS THINGS
TO HELP
PEOPLE GO IN.
HE PERSONALLY SAID THAT SOME OF THESE ISSUES GET SO CLOSE TO HIM, HE'S BEEN SO INVOLVED,
FOR EXAMPLE, IN SOUTH SUDAN.
WAY BEFORE THIS CURRENT ONGOING CONFLICT BECAUSE HE
HAD AN INTEREST IN SEEING THAT SOUTH SUDAN BECOMES AN INDEPENDENT NATION AND THAT PEACE
PREVAILS IN THAT PART OF THE REGION.
SO YOU SEE PASSION FROM HIM ON ISSUES THAT
AFFECT HUMAN BEINGS IN AFRICA AND IT STRIKES YOU THAT IT'S NOT SOMEBODY WHO'S JUST DOING
A JOB BUT IT'S SOMEONE WHO IS INVOLVED AND TOUCHED BY WHAT'S HAPPENING ACROSS THE
CONTINENT.
I TALKED TO THE LEADERS OF UGANDA, ETHIOPIA, ELSEWHERE.
SPEAKING ABOUT BEING TOUCHED BY WHAT'S HAPPENING, YOU ARE FROM THE CONTINENT YOURSELF, YOU'RE
FROM KENYA.
YES.
SO WHAT'S IT LIKE FOR YOU BEING A JOURNALIST HERE IN THE UNITED STATES AND BEING ABLE TO
REPORT ON THESE ISSUES, RELATED TO AFRICA, TO AFRICANS FROM HERE?
I THINK IT'S A GREAT PRIVILEGE TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE PRACTICING JOURNALISM FROM
HERE AND FOCUSING ON MY MOTHERLAND, THE CONTINENT OF AFRICA.
ONE UNIQUE THING THAT IT
GIVES YOU THIS WIDER PERSPECTIVE OF THE CONTINENT.
I'M ABLE TO SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING ACROSS THE CONTINENT FROM NORTH TO SOUTH, WEST TO EAST
AND HAVE KIND OF AN OUTSIDER
PERSPECTIVE WHILE AT THE SAME TIME BEING AN INSIDER, WITH A SUDDEN DEEPER UNDERSTANDING
OF THE ISSUES.
WE GET A LOT OF FEEDBACK AND WE ARE GRATEFUL THAT MANY PEOPLE ARE
WATCHING THE PROGRAM FROM ACROSS THE CONTINENT.
FROM ALL OF US IN WASHINGTON, HAVE A GOOD NIGHT.
AND OUR THANKS TO MR.
VINCENT MAKORI FOR THAT LOOK INTO AFRICA 54.