In this interview, environmental communicator and journalist Alis Okonji-Bownds reflects on her path into storytelling, the values that guide her work, and why grassroots journalism matters now more than ever.
Can you tell us a bit about your background—where you’re from and what brought you into journalism in the first place?
I got into journalism by chance. From an early age, I was fascinated by environmental science and captivated by the life and work of Wangari Maathai, the Kenyan social, environmental, and political activist who championed environmental conservation. When she received the Nobel Prize in 2004, I couldn’t stop reading about it. Then it hit me! She wasn’t the one writing her story. Someone had to be behind the lens and behind the pen, telling it.
I followed her journey as she fought for green spaces, including one of my favourite places in Nairobi, Karura Forest.
She inspired me to pursue storytelling for the environment. And now here I am: an environmental communications expert with journalism experience in Africa, and a Master’s in Environment and Development from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
What inspired you to join Report for the World, and what does our mission mean to you personally?
People inspired me to join Report for the World. I met the Report for the World team in South Africa during the annual Africa Investigative Journalism Conference, and was immediately drawn to their commitment to serve local communities.
I grew up in a home where the news on the radio and TV was broadcast in my local language. I watched my grandparents, who were farmers, engage with it, learning from it and using it in their daily lives. That early experience showed me the power of accessible, locally relevant journalism, which is why Report for the World’s mission to strengthen independent local media resonates so profoundly with my passion for storytelling.
What specific skills or networks are you bringing to RFW, and how do you intend to leverage them to support under-covered reporting?
I bring an understanding of local communities in East Africa, strong analytical and research skills and a background in climate and environment. I’m also a visionary and creative thinker, which means I’m always looking for fresh, innovative ways to serve our partners that may otherwise be overlooked.
I plan to use these strengths to advance Report for the World’s work in Africa, by shaping the program to connect community voices and perspectives to the global agenda. I intend to contribute to RFW’s work on climate to inform and engage audiences and stakeholders on urgent climate and environmental issues.
Which of RFW’s core values—like community engagement, sustainability, or local storytelling—resonates most with you, and why?
Report for the World’s commitment to sustainability resonates with me most. Too often, support for local journalism can create dependency rather than resilience. What I admire about RFW is its focus on revenue diversification, which works with newsrooms to build multiple streams of support and long-term stability. This approach doesn’t just keep journalism alive in the short term; it strengthens local media ecosystems so they can thrive independently.
How do you envision your role evolving here, both in terms of your own growth and in advancing the program’s impact?
I envision my role evolving as a bridge between local communities and the broader storytelling and reporting ecosystem. I want to deepen my own expertise in environmental and development journalism while learning from the diverse partners in the regions we work.
Over time, I hope to contribute to shaping strategies and systems that strengthen individual newsrooms and reinforce the broader network of independent, resilient local media.
What excites you most about working in journalism today, especially within the context of underserved communities or global challenges?
What excites me most is seeing how underserved communities facing global challenges like climate change, education and health crisis continue to innovate solutions relevant to them. Journalism today is not telling people what to do. Rather it is expounding and spotlighting how local communities remain resilient in the face of adversity.
Reading about women in Afghanistan who continue to write despite the Taliban’s oppression of their rights, and seeing how Nigeria media is influencing systemic justice, does more than excite me. It reinforces my belief that storytelling makes a difference.
Can you share a powerful or memorable moment from your journalism career so far—something that reminds you why you do this work?
One day, in 2017, I was out in the field with my colleagues covering an anti-government protest, when teargas was fired in our direction.
Back then, it was common knowledge amongst journalists that the safest place to cover protests and riots was from behind the police lines and not among the protestors. From there, the risk was usually limited to an occasional stone or piece of debris hurled from the crowd. But inside the crowd, the risks multiplied; you could lose your equipment, be jostled, or even harassed by hostile demonstrators.
But this day, I was late. I had gotten stuck in traffic, due to the tension in the city, and by the time I joined my colleagues, we were caught between the police and the protestors.
My eyes burned. My chest tightened. For the first time in my career, I wasn’t just an observer; I was vulnerable, afraid, human. I felt, in my body, what protestors had always felt.
That day in 2018 made me realise that before I am a journalist, I am a person. I am not invincible. I bleed, I cough, I cry when teargassed. I felt what the protestors always felt. And I realised that the story had to be told, not from behind police lines, but for the people. Who endured police brutality. Who came out to the street every week despite the violence. Whose voices go unheard. And remain underrepresented.
This shaped my storytelling career.
Looking ahead, what kinds of stories or issues—such as climate, corruption, education, or human rights—are you most eager to help bring to light through RFW?
Looking ahead, I am most eager to use stories to advocate for the environment. The environment is our lifeline as a people, yet with rapid climate change, we are witnessing its slow destruction in real time.
For me, reporting on the environment goes beyond documenting rising temperatures or vanishing forests; it is about telling the human stories behind these shifts.
It is about the farmer adopting innovative irrigation methods, because his crops no longer grow as they once did. The children who capture and store rainwater underground, and the communities whose lives are changed due to floods or droughts.
Stories of the environment matter because they remind us that climate change is not an abstract issue. It shapes lives, futures, and entire generations. Through my work, I want to amplify these voices, often overlooked, and highlight the urgent need for action.
How do you think our regional partners (like AIJC, Factum, ARIJ, etc.) can amplify RFW’s mission?
In Swahili, we say, kidole kimoja hakivunji chawa, which means one finger cannot kill a louse. It is a proverb that emphasises the importance of cooperation and collaboration in accomplishing complex tasks. A sustainable, independent local media ecosystem requires that we work together.
Our regional partnerships enable this.
What message would you like to share with our community and supporters about why grassroots journalism through Report for the World matters—and how they can stay engaged?
Like Wangari Maathai said, “Until you dig a hole, you plant a tree, you water it and make it survive, you haven’t done a thing. You are just talking.”
This applies to journalism today. As the media, we must not be simply producers of content. We must also listen and co-create with grassroots communities.
As local communities, we must not be simply consumers of content. We must be participants in shaping the stories that affect us; challenging narratives that misrepresent us, contributing insights that deepen understanding, and holding institutions accountable alongside journalists.
Grassroots journalism matters because it brings power back to the people. It ensures that stories are not just told about communities but with them, amplifying voices that are too often ignored.
Report for the World is a bridge in this process. And I encourage supporters to stay engaged, not just by reading and sharing our work, but by supporting the journalists and communities who make it possible.