Blog

Hassan Istiila, Somalia |

Hassan Istiila is a Mogadishu-based journalist with over a decade of experience reporting for local and international media. His work focuses on migration, governance, digital divides, climate change, environmental issues, fact-checking, and the rights of marginalised communities. As Somalia undergoes a digital transformation amid deep-rooted infrastructure and information access challenges, Hassan sees journalism as a tool to promote transparency and inclusion. He is particularly interested in how Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) can transform fragile states like Somalia, where systems such as national digital ID and e-governance are emerging but underreported—especially from the perspective of equity and accountability.

Through this fellowship, Hassan aims to deepen his reporting on how these digital shifts impact public service delivery and the daily lives of ordinary citizens, especially women, youth, and internally displaced people.

Lebon Kasamira  is a journalist, Internet governance researcher, and consultant in Digital Communications based in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He previously worked at Ebuteli Research Institute, Congo

Research Group, UNICEF in DRC, Human Rights Watch, and Amani Festival. He collaborates with media outlets such as Equal Times, Al Jazeera, RFI, Congo Check, Habari RDC, Music In Africa, and The New Humanitarian, among others. He has written several feature articles, including on digital censorship and democracy in Africa, published in December 2023, for Equal Times. He holds a degree in communication for development from Lumière University of Bujumbura, is a PAYAIG (Pan-African Youth Action for Innovation and Governance) program fellow, and is a former scholarship holder in public management at the Yali Regional Leadership Centre in Dakar, Senegal.

 

Jean de Dieu Ndikumasabo is a bilingual (French-English) news reporter, fact-checker, photographer, editor, and community manager at the Burundi News Agency (ABP). He specializes in investigative journalism, focusing on underreported issues related to climate change, public health, digital transformation, and community-driven stories. He has covered key topics at the intersection of climate and health through prestigious fellowships, including the Excellence in Health Journalism Fellowship (National Press Foundation) and the African Disease Reporting Fellowship (ADRAP). His international reporting experience includes major events such as the Forum for Young African Entrepreneurs (Tony Elumelu Foundation Forum, 2019, Lagos) and the 5th United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5, 2024, Doha). In June 2025, he covered the Internet Governance Forum (IGF 25) held in Lillestrøm, Norway. Jean de Dieu has received advanced training in journalism and fact-checking from several renowned institutions, including the National Press Foundation, The World Bank, Lille School of Journalism, Radio Netherland Training Center (RNTC), Code for Africa, and PesaCheck. He is the recipient of the Pro Economic Liberty Award from CDE-Great Lakes and is an active member of the Africa Fact-checking Alliance (AFCA).

Mukanyandwi Marie Louise is an experienced multimedia journalist with an extensive  background in television production, photography, and reporting. She worked with Goodrich TV and Authentic TV, and currently serves as an editor and reporter at UbumweNews.com where she covers a range of social, economic, and development issues. She holds an advanced diploma in Information Management. Over the years, she has completed specialised training in gender and media, sexual and reproductive health reporting, and business journalism, among others, through programs supported by institutions such as the University of Rwanda, Media High Council, and UNDP. Marie Louise is passionate about telling impactful, inclusive stories that inform and empower local communities. She brings a dynamic, cross-platform approach to journalism. As a DPI Journalism Fellow, she is committed to exploring how digital public infrastructure can enhance transparency and civic engagement.