Mastercard Foundation Scholars thrive at UC Berkeley Journalism

From left to right: James Mawien Manyuol, Victor Ochieng, Jennifer Ugwa and Daniel Ekonde. Photo: Marlena Telvick

Four gifted first-year students — Daniel Ekonde of Cameroon, James Mawien Manyuol of South Sudan, Victor Ochieng of Kenya and Jennifer Ugwa of Nigeria — are this year’s Mastercard Foundation Scholars at UC Berkeley Journalism, part of a campuswide program in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation that covers the educational costs of students seeking master’s degrees.

Each year, the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at UC Berkeley selects a dozen or more students from Africa to be Mastercard Foundation Scholars. They are often young people who face great social and economic barriers to opportunity. The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program’s goal is to develop Africa’s next generation of leaders across academic disciplines in top universities worldwide.

More than fifteen Mastercard Foundation Scholars have earned their graduate degrees at Berkeley Journalism since 2012. Berkeley Journalism is the only graduate-level journalism school in the United States in the partnership.

“The Mastercard Foundation Scholars program has enabled excellent students and future journalists to study at UC Berkeley — students who contribute greatly to the school community and to our field of journalism,” said Elena Conis, acting dean and professor. “We are grateful for this enduring partnership.”

Meet the Mastercard Foundation Scholars

Victor Ochieng

Victor Ochieng is a first-year student specializing in documentary filmmaking. His focus is on telling stories that inspire change, particularly those addressing social justice, public health and environmental issues. With experience in video production, investigative reporting and content creation, he has worked with organizations like the Kenya Defense Forces’ Strategic Communication Unit as a broadcast trainer and producer, as well as with UNHCR, Fútbol Más, GiveDirectly and news agencies like Al Jazeera English and Deutsche Welle. He is also the founder of Sema Radio, the first community audio-visual radio station in his region.

Originally from Nairobi, Kenya, Ochieng earned a B.A. in Journalism with a minor in Criminal Justice from United States International University-Africa. His journalism path began when he volunteered at Koch FM, a community radio station in the heart of the Korogocho slums, where he sharpened his broadcast media skills and discovered the power of community-driven storytelling.

In addition to his graduate work, he serves as the marketing lead at International House, creating audio-visual content.

Ochieng, who applied for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program twice before being accepted, said he had always aspired to advance his studies in the U.S., particularly at UC Berkeley.

“This opportunity has been transformational,” he said, emphasizing that pursuing his degree “without any financial burden” has allowed him to fully immerse himself in his studies. “I was excited not only about the academic growth but also about joining a global network of Mastercard Foundation Scholars committed to making a difference in their communities.”

Jennifer Ugwa

Jennifer Ugwa is a freelance investigative reporter and storyteller from Nigeria where she reported for regional and international news outlets on global health, the environment, women in conflict and corporate taxation. Her work has been featured in the Women’s Media Center, ScienceDev.Net, The Open NoteBook, Climate Tracker, FinanceUncovered among other outlets.

“Beyond the immense honor and prestige, the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program gave me something invaluable — the freedom to focus on my education without the weight of financial worries,” Ugwa said. “Many students have to take on loans to pursue their dreams, but the Mastercard Foundation is incredibly holistic in its support. It takes care of everything, and I mean everything, which has made all the difference.”

Daniel Ekonde

Daniel Ekonde is a Cameroonian journalist who received his undergraduate degree in journalism from the University of Buea, Cameroon in 2018. Since then, he has worked across radio, television and print, contributing stories to Global Voices, The Continent, CNN, New Frame News, and Quartz Africa. He covered the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations for Al Jazeera’s online platform and worked as a sports reporter and football, basketball and volleyball commentator for Cameroon Radio Television. In 2024, Ekonde was named Best TV Sports Reporter by the Cameroon English Language Newspaper Publishers Association for his “insightful, sharp and professional TV reports.”

“I see the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program as a once-in-a-life-time moment to acquire a world-class education,” Ekonde said. “I always knew I would get funding for a master’s program in an elite university like UC Berkeley, but I did not know it would be as comprehensive and holistic as the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program.”

James Mawien

James Mawien Manyuol is a South Sudanese journalist with more than five years’ work experience. He began his journalism career as a reporter of Radio Don Bosco in Tonj, his hometown. From 2021 to July 2024, he worked for Radio Miraya of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, where his reporting spanned communal conflicts, human rights abuses and peacebuilding processes.

Mawien Manyuol is also a 2022 Mandela Washington Fellow/Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) recipient, and along with other young Africans, he was placed at Indiana University to study Civic Engagement Leadership. After that fellowship, he won a Reciprocal Exchange Component grant twice, with funding from the U.S. Department of State for training in writing and election reporting in Kuajok, Warrap State. Mawien Manyuol earned a bachelor’s degree in economics with a major in accounting and finance in 2016 from the University of Bahr el Ghazal, Wau-South Sudan.

“I am happy that I got this great scholarship — now I can just think of when to complete my coursework and other academic requirements instead of when to pay tuition fees and other expenses,” said Mawien Manyuol. “The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program covers everything for me. I am glad to have received this scholarship.”

Thriving through the support of mentors

Since their arrival in August, the Mastecard Foundation Scholars have reported on everything from a powerful video/print story on an Oakland nonprofit that has been working in neighborhoods to interrupt the cycle of violence that often leads to retaliation and incarceration, a new BART Police headquarters, a plan to remove bus shelters due to low ad revenue, a rally to remove the Alameda County registrar of voters, and local elections last November for the school’s hyperlocal site Oakland North.

The Mastercard Foundation Scholars are quick to thank their mentors for the growth they’ve seen in themselves already.

Ugwa describes her academic supervisor, Jennifer LaFleur, as a “huge inspiration”. “She’s not just a professor — she’s a true mentor, always willing to support.” Ugwa said she learned how to file FOIA requests back in Nigeria, but LaFleur helped demystify the process in the U.S., making it far less intimidating for her and other international students. Having “no experience in video editing whatsoever,” she’s also appreciative of her multimedia instructors for now knowing how to produce videos and the Investigative Reporting program for sharpening her investigative skills.

“At UC Berkeley, I have been fortunate to have mentors who have profoundly shaped my journalistic journey,” Ochieng said. He credits instructors Jennifer Redfearn, Cassandra Herrman and Manjula Varghese for elevating his documentary storytelling skills to meet professional, global standards and his understanding of the powerful role audio-visual storytelling has played in shaping conversations and driving social impact throughout history.

An added personal connection he says is Herrman’s fluency in Swahili, his local language, which has made him feel home away from home. “Her greetings of “Habari yako” have been a comforting reminder of my roots and a small but meaningful connection to my culture.”

Mawien says he took multimedia to challenge himself since he didn’t have any video shooting and editing skills, and he had his struggles. “But under a great instructor, Julian Glover, it turned out to be a great experience and now I can shoot and edit short-form videos.”

Looking ahead to the future

“After I graduate, I would love to go back to South Sudan, a new country with a lot of challenges,” Mawien Manyuol said. “Communities are divided on tribal lines and there is a lot of rancor that has grown over ten years of civil war. Journalists have a responsibility to wipe it out through fair, truthful and objectivity reporting.”

Before coming to UC Berkeley, Mawien trained young journalists in radio programming and reporting on the perils of communal conflicts. The training he is receiving now he says will be useful in carrying out future instruction in South Sudan.

“At some point, I’d love to step into a leadership role where I can support young journalists in pursuing the stories they’re passionate about,” Ugwa said. “I want to help create opportunities for others like I’ve been supported. And as for where I’ll be? If a story takes me to Armenia, Europe, or anywhere else in the world, I’ll be there, ready to tell it on whatever platform. But for now, I’m just taking things one step at a time, applying and looking forward to internships, and enjoying the journey.”

James Mawien Manyuol and Daniel Ekonde at the Class of 2026 orientation in August. Photo Andrea Lampros.

After graduating, Ochieng plans to continue his work in documentary filmmaking and investigative journalism, focusing on stories that intersect with public health, environmental justice and civic engagement. “I aim to use storytelling as a tool to shed light on critical issues that impact communities locally and globally, emphasizing the power of media to drive social change,” Ochieng said.

He is also interested in developing media literacy programs for marginalized communities. “By equipping individuals with the skills to tell their own stories, I hope to amplify voices that are often overlooked and foster greater representation in media. In the long term, I aspire to establish a media production company that focuses on underreported stories from Africa and the diaspora.”

Daniel Ekonde receiving Cameroon’s Best Television Sports Reporter award from Senator Mbella Moki Charles (left)

Mastercard Foundation Scholars receive a comprehensive scholarship equivalent to the costs associated with earning a master’s degree, which includes travel, tuition, Berkeley student fees, visa and SEVIS fees, housing, food and living expenses. All prospective Mastercard Foundation Scholars must be 35 years old or under when they apply and must first be admitted to Berkeley Journalism’s master’s degree program to be considered for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program.

Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program Alumni are now producing documentaries, giving TED Talks, reporting and producing for The Guardian, Voice of America, wildlife non-profits and elsewhere and teaching multimedia skills to budding African journalists.

–Marlena Telvick