Bertha Foundation is inviting applications for the launch of the sixth Bertha Challenge – an opportunity for activists and investigative journalists to spend a year working on one pressing social justice challenge and to deliver a body of work at the end of the fellowship year.
The goal of the challenge is to focus on farming and the climate crisis.
“Nothing connects us more intimately to our planet – its water, its soil, its weather, its air and climate than how we grow the food to feed all eight plus billion of us,” the organisers say.
They added, “Our fellowship will offer income for each Bertha Fellow for one year, not exceeding USD 64,900 and commensurate with the applicant’s current or equivalent salary at the host organisation – ideally a media outlet for an investigative journalist and an NGO, community organisation or social movement for an activist.
“A project fund of up to USD 10,000 for each Bertha fellow to produce a culminating product that responds to the question posed by the Bertha Challenge, and that is directed towards a specific audience (will also be given).
The project could be a series of articles, videos, podcasts, games or drama productions. Joint activist and journalist applicants will have the option to pool their project funding to produce projects on a larger scale, access to a connect fund of up to USD 5,000 specifically designed to encourage collaboration between fellows and much more.
Joint applications between activists and investigative journalists will be prioritised. Joint applicants must fill in individual application forms, but make reference to their partner applicant, including where and how their work will overlap and how they will support one another’s projects. Joint applicants have the option to pool each of their USD 10,000 project funds to work together on one larger project says the hosts.
Bertha Foundation supports social, environmental and economic justice activism. It creates programmes and provides funding to support individuals and organisations working to address some of the most pressing contemporary social justice issues.
The deadline for the submission of applications is July 12, 2024. Interested applicants can apply here.
Blessing Otoibhi is a Multimedia Journalist and Anchor host for the News in 60 seconds at The International Center For Investigative Reporting. You can shoot her a mail via [email protected] or connect on Twitter @B_otoibhi