Passy Mubalama

Because of this insecurity, poverty has increased in the region in the last decade and the population has become more and more vulnerable, particularly women and children. I come from a big family of 12 children, seven girls and five boys, and I am the eldest.

I have worked as a journalist in Goma for the past seven years. I began my career by doing internships at local radio stations in the city, including Radio Grands Lacs and the Radio Liberté. For a time, I also worked in television. After that, I was hired by Syfia Grands Lacs, a Belgium press agency which works with local journalists in DRC, Rwanda and Burundi. In June 2010, I became an IWPR reporter, producing radio and print reports on subjects such as the rule of law, reconciliation, justice, human rights and women's rights.

I wanted to become a journalist because where I come from there was almost no female reporters. Therefore, women could not make their voices heard despite all the injustice and human rights violations they have to endure. I admired good journalists and found the job fascinating but also wanted to expose wrongs and to bring about change.

What has been most beneficial for me has been the training I received in radio production and also my internship in The Hague, where I was able to work closely with IWPR journalists and get a better understanding of how the International Criminal Court works. I was especially pleased to be able to produce reports on the Bemba trial and to know that these reports were being read by an international audience.