Built for
the next generation of Sudanese journalists.
Founded in 2020, Zamala is a six-month journalism fellowship training the next generation of reporters, editors, and journalists working in and on Sudan – in one of the most demanding environments in the world.
In 2020, we established the Zamala Fellowship to pioneer professional journalism grounded in legal accountability. This initiative emerged following the collapse of Omar al-Bashir’s regime; a government that, for thirty years, had mastered the art of stifling freedoms, restricting access to vital information, and shaping public perception.
We designed the fellowship program to provide training and help expand opportunities for independent journalism that brings creative and original angles to news stories and to support new generations of journalists in building the skills and capabilities needed for a professional career in the field. Through the fellowship, we support all those who sense in themselves the competence and desire to build such a career. We have no doubt that if we can build capacity within a high-quality investigative journalism environment; one defined by ethics, skill, and sound organisation, we can help ensure that Sudanese citizens have access to accurate and reliable information on national and local issues within the Sudanese context.
Over the years of the Zamala program, many lecturers, mentors, and specialists across different fields have shared the depth of their experience and knowledge with program fellows. They taught well and shared their expertise with trainees taking their first steps toward a professional life in journalism; contributing to the formation of awareness and understanding of economic, social, and political issues in a constantly changing context.
Today, after five cohorts that have directly benefited more than 40 fellows, we are moving toward establishing a Journalism Academy; the first educational institution dedicated to practical training for those who want to begin a professional journalism career. We hope this institution will offer an innovative educational experience in journalism.
Editorial mentorship
Fellows work directly with senior journalists, editors, and specialists – story development, source building, verification, and the craft of reporting from people who have done the work in Sudan’s most complex conditions.
A platform to publish
Fellows’ work is published on Atar Network – giving their investigations and stories a credible, independent platform with an established audience across Sudan and the region.
Structured training
A curriculum built around investigative methods, digital safety, source protection, data journalism, open-source research, visual storytelling, and the ethics of reporting under pressure and conflict.
Financial support
Zamala fellows receive a stipend for the duration of the fellowship – because serious journalism requires serious time, and time requires support.
If you want to build a career in journalism,
this fellowship is for you.
Zamala is open to Sudanese journalists and journalism students at the start of their careers – based inside Sudan in the five target states. We look for people with the drive to develop their skills in a serious, ethical, and demanding environment.
- Sudanese citizen, aged 20–35
- University student or graduate
- Passionate about building a professional career in journalism
- Committed to journalistic ethics – credibility, accountability, and independent reporting
- No affiliation with state or party-aligned media
Our Fellows
Five cohorts completed. More than 40 fellows trained. Journalists building careers and producing original reporting across Sudan and the diaspora.
