Turning my Dream into Reality: The Reflections of a Self-Made Journalist

It was sometimes in March 2009 when I received a group email from Janet Feldman containing a link which re-directed me to WorldPulse (PulseWire). At that particular moment in my life, I was at the peak of my adventure into web 2.0 and new media.

As I browsed from one page to next, these two things stood out strongly to me.
1. ‘No body speaks for me. I speak for myself’.
2. ‘Journey on the frontiers of new media and women's empowerment’.
Although I cannot remember clearly the excitement I felt after reading through some pages on the site. Nonetheless, one thing is for sure, I was happy to discover PulseWire. And for that reason, I registered, accepting to embrace the vision and values of the site.

Growing up, I had always have great admiration and passion for journalism. Unfortunately for me at that time in my university years, I was not eligible because my background was Pure Sciences. Amazingly, that wasn’t the policies to join PulseWire, thus making it the first women new media networks and the second new media, I was joining.

Reflecting through my PulseWire experiences, I absolutely admit that I have tremendously improved in both my blogging and in maintaining community networks. I remembered my early months into Pulsewire, I was always confused. My journals were hardly categorized. Whether it was Call for Applications, Conferences, Article and Trainings…etc., all I did was ‘Post to Journal’.

Regardless of all that, at no point was I ever yelled at or made to feel unskilled. I cannot forget the countless times Jade Frank, Janice W, Sharese and the other sisters would drop words of encouragement either as an email or as a comment to some of my posts. Their words gave me strength and made me confident and enthusiastic to share my story and that of my other sisters in the community.

And as years passed by, with my exposure on the network, I became more and more engaged and eventually felt the need to advance my skills and thus to finally fulfill that vision I couldn’t accomplished because I didn’t read Literature and Arts subjects.

There are three principal reasons to why I am applying for the VOF 2011.
- To acquire the ethical and formal skills on citizen journalism. Being a blogger, online communicator, it is imperative that I understand some of the ethical implications involve.
- To improve my knowledge, skills and involvement on the use of web 2.0 and new media for community good. So as to be able to strengthened my community women ICT skills for self-development and empowerment.
- To exchange experiences with other applicants on the opportunities that confronts women and girls rights and to seeks solutions in addressing them.

\"I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.\" - Helen Keller