Ten years ago, Edith Nibakwe struggled to define the profession that God had called her into. She tried various careers such as business but she was never successful and wondered why her endeavours never ran effectively.
One day however, when Apostle Dr. Paul Gitwaza was preaching on the ‘seven spheres’ and how each person’s sphere is related to their passion, Nibakwe, a member of the Zion Temple Celebration Centre, experienced a ‘light-bulb moment.’
She finally realised that all she had to do, to discern her calling was, was to first discover her passion.
As a result, it took Nibakwe three days of prayer to discover the right sphere God wanted her to pursue.
One day, she was on her way to church when God spoke. She heard a voice say ‘your sphere is media,’ and she was surprised because she had been keen to become a journalist since childhood.
Since then, Nibakwe’s goal has been to make it in the field of media even though she never went to Journalism school.
To realise her passion, Nibakwe confidently travelled to Izuba Radio in Kibungo and requested for an internship.
Although she did not do journalism, she expressed her interest in doing journalism. And when she approached Izuba Radio, Regine Gacinya welcomed her with her open arms and helped shape her journalistic skills until she joined Isango star.
Doing what she loves has opened the door to becoming a very important female journalist in the local and international media. Nibakwe worked for Isango Tv, RFI, Authentic Radio and TV and Itv Tanzania.
Celebrating a decade in media
On Sunday, September 3, Edith Nibakwe celebrated her 10th anniversary in the media. According to her, it’s not common to celebrate career years but for her, it means a lot.
The celebration, themed: “Women of impact: Empowering girls and women,” reflected on her achievements as a woman. It was also a moment to thank all those who supported her in following her passion.
Nibakwe thanked God for keeping her alive after a fatal accident in 2018 that left her seriously injured.
The colourful celebration was held in Kicukiro, and attended by a variety of influential women from different fields like journalism, business, politics, and Faith-based organisations among others.
“Journalism is God’s calling. I tried to do business, but without success. God put me in the media to make an impact,” Nibakwe pointed out.
She believes her profession can enable her to do something about the challenges faced by girls and women.
Nibakwe came up with the idea of ‘women of impact’ and shared it with a businesswoman, Beatrice Mujawayesu, who warmly appreciated the initiative and today is Chairperson of the initiative.
“Women of Impact” will air on Isango Tv every Saturday from 3 pm to 4 pm. Nibakwe will host influential and successful women to inspire young girls and other women.
In addition, the initiative will host visits to girls in schools and conferences on various topics specific to women.
During the celebration, a panel discussion was held where the hosts of RTV show Ishya, shared insights on various issues affecting women.
Aissa Cyiza said that her team came up with the Ishya show to elaborate on all the issues facing girls and women, adding that female journalists should have an impact on the lives of other women.
Speaking about teenage pregnancy, Cyuzuzo encouraged parents to educate their children and that female journalists should break silence on gender-based violence.
Their colleague, Christelle suggested that parents control what their children consume from the internet and television.
Furthermore, influential figure Pamela Mudakikwa, called on other women to become ‘women of impact’ in their communities and comfort other women struggling with life’s difficulties.
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