The Art and Global Health Center Africa (AGHCA) has called on journalists in Malawi to increase coverage of the challenges facing refugees at Dzaleka.
Speaking during a media engagement with the Nyika Media Club in Mzuzu, AGHCA Executive Director Rodgers Phiri said the media has a responsibility to tell informed stories that reflect the realities refugees face every day.
The engagement included a screening of the film We Name Ourselves, produced by young people from Dzaleka to highlight social and economic hardships experienced within the camp.
Phiri said accurate and consistent reporting can help shift public perceptions and encourage action from policymakers and institutions.
“Journalists play a crucial role in communicating the plight of refugees to duty bearers and policy holders,” he said.
He noted that growing pressure on services and infrastructure at the camp continues to affect living conditions for refugees and asylum seekers.
Phiri also raised concerns over uncertainty surrounding refugee policies in Malawi, particularly affecting children born in the camp. He said there is a need for broader discussions on legal identity, education, and long-term opportunities for young people growing up in displacement.
Vice President of the Nyika Media Club, Clementina Pondelani, described the engagement as important for journalists covering humanitarian and social issues.
She said media practitioners must continue amplifying voices from vulnerable communities through responsible and investigative reporting.
“We are duty bound to ensure we write for a wider audience on issues affecting global communities such as refugees,” she said.
Beyond journalism and policy discussions, young creatives from Dzaleka are also using art to tell their own stories.
The African Youth Artistic Poetry collective, known as AYAP, is using poetry, performance, and storytelling to express experiences of displacement, resilience, and hope. Through a partnership with Shared Studios, the group is expected to connect with audiences in New York during celebrations marking KEPYR’s 10th anniversary.
One of the performers, Charles Lipanda Matenga, spoke about how poetry helped him regain hope after years of hardship.
“Initially, I regarded the refugee camp as the grave of dreams,” he said during the event.
The discussions in Mzuzu highlighted the growing role of storytelling, journalism, and the arts in bringing attention to the realities facing refugees in Malawi.
