WASH Media Awards - 1st Edition
In 2002 WSSCC launched the WASH Media Awards. The reason behind this initiative was to encourage investigative reporting on water, sanitation and hygiene issues by journalist from less developed countries. An international jury of 6 journalists evaluated more than 100 written, radio and TV-stories from more than 40 countries.
The award ceremony took place during the First Global WASH Forum in December 2004, in Dakar, Senegal. The recipient of the first WASH Media Award was Ms. Nadia El-Awady, an Egyptian science journalist and editor of "Islam Online". Her story highlighted the various threats that the River Nile, once Egypt's 'vein of life, faces. The story was described by the jury's panel as an outstanding piece of journalist work. Secondary prizes went to five other journalists from Indonesia, The Philippines, Pakistan, Ivory Coast and Peru. A special 'youth reporter' award was won by a Nepalese journalist.
The winner of the WASH Media Award later became involved in several conferences on the communication of environmental issues, and collaborated with the BBC in her home country of Egypt on the production of a documentary on WASH issues.