No one would imagine the stories behind these warm smiles – Mary Kiio and Jane Mwangi negotiated their way into volatile areas to get to displaced people in Kenya.

(March 4, 2008) “Thayu, thayu, thayu,” “peace, peace, peace.” With these words, Kenyan journalist Jane Mwangi tried to appease the angry men who were trying to test if she and her friend belonged to “the right tribe.” Jane was trying to make loud noises to distract the interrogator from her friend’s accent, which would reveal he was from “the wrong tribe.” This happened when the vehicle in which they were traveling was stopped. They were trying to make their way to a camp where internally displaced people were housed. Jane, who works for Radio Waumini in Nairobi, was one of three journalists on Local Voices travel grants exploring the challenges for displaced people, especially those exposed to HIV.

As if reporting in a conflict zone is not difficult enough, the pair also encountered trauma for which they were barely prepared. Mary Kiio of TransWorldRadio had made contact with an organization dealing with rape survivors.

“Initially, I just wanted to be a journalist and tell the story. I hadn’t realized the magnitude of the story,” says Mary. She was reporting on the rape of two young children and a woman.

Even seasoned aid workers have been horrified by the brutal nature of rape in Kenya’s post election period. The Nairobi Women’s Hospital reported a three-fold incidence in rape. About 300 women have been treated for rape since the beginning of the year. The large majority of these women appear to have been gang raped.

Kassim Mohammed, a journalist for Star FM in Garissa, did a story on a woman who was gang raped by ten men. “I was up and down and all over the place with questions. My questions did not help the situation. I wish I had the powers to counsel her on how to deal with it and how to deal with the sadness. I wasn’t prepared.”

Kassim also regrets that he didn’t know enough about PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis), the ARV treatment given to rape survivors to prevent HIV infection.

The experiences of Mary and Kassim point to the need for journalists to be emotionally prepared for reporting on rape. They need to be informed on treatment options and some also should have post traumatic stress counseling.

Responding to these needs, Internews arranged a roundtable at the end of January on the reporting of gender based violence and rape. The 24 journalists who attended the event heard tips from an experienced counselor on how to interact with rape survivors. They also learned not to interview a survivor who had not been professionally counseled and that child survivors should be accompanied by an adult when interviewed. The roundtable also addressed information on ARV treatment and follow-up care. Two of the rape survivors whom the journalists interviewed earlier had not sought any medical help, which suggests that there isn’t enough awareness of PEP.

Another challenge is language. How do you talk to a child about forced sex and rape?

“Even when we talk to adults, we sometimes lack the words. For example the Kiswahili word ‘kubukwa’ (meaning to be violated) is too harsh sounding and the child may have no idea what we are talking about. ’Mapenzi ya ngono’ (the love, which is of the genital area) is less harsh, but not at all the right words for rape,” says Mary. The journalists were challenged to find appropriate terminology in their languages when talking about rape.

After discussing her ordeal with Internews trainers Mary said she now knew she had not been equipped to talk to the child who had been raped. Kassim realized journalists have an opportunity to educate rape survivors and their audience and that the story has to be approached with extreme sensitivity.

The Local Voices project in Kenya will continue to provide support to journalists who are telling the story of rape as a tool of terror.

Internews Network’s Local Voices project, which supports accurate and effective reporting on HIV/AIDS, is funded by the President’s Emergency Fund for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through USAID.

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