TIPTOPSTARS

"My award is source of public discussion on ICT, women and youths” - Comfort Musa, journalist/laureate, CTA/NEPAD writing competition

Ernest Kanjo / Tuesday, 10 April 2012 17:00

Unarguably, Comfort Musa is one of the most serviceable Cameroonian advocacy journalists/communicators in recent times. She is generally known to have upheld gender balance on several civil society fronts. But Commy, as she would affectionately be called hit prominence when 100% Live, a radio show to effect behaviour change on youths created a huge impact on audience. The said show that comes on every Thursday on North West region’s leading private radio station Radio Hot Cocoa is an extension of the Social Marketing Programme, ACSM’s long-standing 100% Jeunes programme coined to protect youths against STIs, HIV and AIDS and other social vices. Perhaps, what brings Commy’s story into focus is the recognition the indefatigable female journalist has been enjoying of late. The widely travelled journalist has been picking up awards along her professional track and is today one of the most resourceful young communicators her country prides itself with. The latest of such recognitions was the CTA/NEPAD best essayist in a writing competition on the topic “Looking at ICTs and agriculture in Africa through the eyes of women and the youth”. Soon after she returned to Cameroon from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where Commy was pronounced winner of the competition, we spoke to her. Here are excerpts of the interview the award-winning journalist gave to TIPTOPSTARS Editor Ernest Kanjo.
Ernest Kanjo (EK): Hello Commy, we hear you had another award…
Comfort Musa (CM): True!
EK: Congrats! Tell us, what it was all about?
CM: I was rewarded in the youth category for the CTA/NEPAD writing competition on ICT and Agriculture through the eyes of women and youths. I bagged home a cash prize of 1000 Euros and a trophy.
EK: Describe the reaction from the hall when you mounted the podium to
receive your prize?
CM: There was thunderous applause and exclamations of joy from
the Cameroonians in the hall. Women were particularly joyous because of the
ten or so winners pronounced at the event, just two were females. I’m honoured to
have been one.
EK: Personally, who said what to you out of the hall?
CM: Out of the hall, some Cameroonians who work at the African Union Secretariat in Addis-Ababa praised me for giving our country a good representation. I also received congratulatory motions from the Director of Pan Africa Institute for Development for West Africa was insisted I should keep the flame burning.

EK: What impact has this award been to your environment?
CM: First, the topic has been generating a lot of discussion in the media and within my community. Such discussions spur development. I have also had quite a good number of young media women telling me they are inspired by it.

EK: It seems this was not your first award…
CM: Certainly not the first! It was my fourth.

EK: Tell us briefly about the others.
CM: I had the 2011 Prix CEMAC d’Excellence for Youth Animated Radio Show in the fight against HIV in CEMAC which I received in Bangui, capital of the Republic of Central Africa. I had previously won the same prize in the 2010 edition which I received in Congo, Brazzaville. I also got the Award of Excellence for Youth Leadership by Academy Campus Forum in 2010 in Yaounde, Cameroon.

EK: To whom did you dedicate the award?
CM: To my family and parents particularly. Special thanks go to my dad who proof read my work before it was submitted. I also dedicate this award to my friends especially the Fokams for their encouragement.

EK: Is this award spurring you to work even harder?
CM: It certainly it is. There is more ground to cover.

Know Commy more
  Height: 1.55 m
Origin: Nkambe, Donga Mantung Division, NWR, Cameroon
Educational background: Studied Journalism
  Hobbies: Travelling, music, watching movies and creative writing
Religion: Christianity
Beliefs: Love of God
  Favourite Cameroonian traditional dishes: Okonghobong with egusi and ripe plantains
  Favourite western dish: Chicken and French fries.
  Best colour: Spring colours.
  Role model: My father, dad, Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey.

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