My lady friends had always complained about my rare smile. Of course, very few, dared (approach me and) talk about it. And so, when I posted on my status a day after the first Media Conference Mobile Journalism conducted in July 2018, I was congratulated you would think I had just wedded. As we were tweeting about the ongoing conference, we took selfies and shared on twitter. Everyone who came over to me for a selfie, wore a broad smile. There is no way I was going to fail to smile. When I later looked at these pictures while alone, I realized that I was not as ugly as when I didn’t.
Mobile Journalism when I had first heard of it, did not look like something big. In fact I don’t remember what Marvin did by way of demonstration the idea of Mobile Journalism when he came at Third Eye’s meeting one evening. All I remember is that it was a demonstration. And of course I remember that he is one man who is lively and at times dramatic.
When I handed over the office of the Editor in Chief of The Third Eye, I did not know I was simply jumping from one office to another, in the same capacity. That evening, I had handed over the office to the now Features Editor of Mobile Journalism Derrick Ngaira. When the meeting came to an end, I walked over to Yegon and Marvin and inquired what Mobile Journalism was all about. Daniel Kimathi was grinning and shaking in congratulation, Ngaira’s hand. They invited me to a meeting over tea the following morning. At the meeting, I was appointment Chief Editor. You never know what people see in you until they tell you “We believe you are the one!”
Through the Media Conference we organized at Moi University, the training we conducted for Iced Technologies at CoELIB lab in Egerton University Njoro, the training a representative team of Mobile Journalism conducted in Accra, Ghana, I have learnt a lot.
Today Mobile Journalism Africa marks one year since its ‘birth’. To the great things Mobile Journalism has done; to the many more it is bound to unveil; to the many lessons I have learnt while at it; to the friendships I have made while at it; to the networks it has created for me; To a greater, brighter future. Long live Mobile Journalism Africa!
