Aspiring journalist wins once-in-a-lifetime trip

Jennifer Clark was chosen from hundreds of entrants from across the UK in the Guardian International Development Journalism competition run in conjunction with Plan and seven other development organisations.

The 22-year-old will now fly out to Senegal in West Africa to cover a pioneering radio project, run by Plan, which is helping kids cope with abuse and violence.

Her article about the station will be published in a one-off Guardian supplement in November.

Jennifer said: “I'm so excited to be going to Senegal with Plan to write for the Guardian.

“I never thought I would get this far in the competition. It's an amazing opportunity to get just after I've finished my journalism course."

Jennifer’s winning entry chronicled volunteer work she undertook in a township on the outskirts of Capetown, South Africa, helping AIDS sufferers.

She will now fly out to Senegal and report on a children’s radio station which is helping clamp down on domestic and school abuse while helping stop the stigma around AIDS.

In all, sixteen winners have been selected, eight in the amateur student category, including Jennifer, and eight in the freelance professional section.

Ben Willis, a 31-year-old journalist from London, was chosen in the professional category to cover Plan’s work in the Philippines.

Freelancer Ben is an environmental specialist and counts the Economist and Geographical magazine among titles he has previously submitted work to.

Ben’s winning entry detailed how large-scale dam-building in West Africa may worsen drought conditions in an already fragile area close to the Sahara.

Once in the Philippines, Ben will witness the aftermath of disasters such as typhoons and mudslides, believed to be linked to climate change.

He will see how Plan is involving children in predicting when storms will hit, their impact and helping in better rebuilding work after they hit.

The UK government’s Department for International Development helped fund the competition travel to cover the work of eight charities overseas.

Douglas Alexander, International Development Secretary, says: "I am delighted the standard of articles was so high.

“Informed and balanced journalism is crucial to bringing international development to the public's attention.

“This competition has motivated a new generation of journalists to write about issues relating to global poverty.”

Find out more about the competition and read the winning entries