Author Biography: Katie Lin
For years now, Katie Lin has suffered from itchy feet. Since 2005, she has lived and worked in Sri Lanka, Mexico, Canada, England and today, finds herself in Blantyre, Malawi, working at the Malawi Institute of Journalism.
In 2010, Katie received her Masters degree in international multimedia journalism from Newcastle University in the UK, where she also trained with the BBC and the Press Association. She has since contributed stories, reviews and photographs to several UK-based publications, including The Journal, the Sunday Sun, and HotShoe magazine.
An avid photographer and media enthusiast, Lin is thrilled to have the opportunity to combine her passion for journalism, education and travel in her new role.
by Katie Lin
August 30, 2011
Seated on the porch of her state residence in Blantyre, Malawi’s first female Vice President, Joyce Banda, wraps a thick, white shawl around her shoulders and clasps her hands together, indicating that she’s ready to be interviewed. There is a calmness about Mudi State Residence, with its towering trees and extensive gardens. In such a [...]
Tagged as:
democracy,
elections,
news,
People's Party,
politics,
presidential candidate,
protest
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by Katie Lin
August 12, 2011
Behind a set of imposing wooden doors and in a building teeming with antiquity, lies an invaluable collection of historical documents: photographs. Nestled among the labyrinth of narrow streets that make up the UNESCO World Heritage site of Stone Town, Capital Art Studio literally wears the image of Zanzibar’s past but is also a treasure trove [...]
Tagged as:
history,
photography,
Tanzania
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by Katie Lin
August 2, 2011
On July 3, 2011, Neighborhood Watch, a student-run radio show, was proudly launched on MIJ FM in Blantyre. The bilingual (English-Chichewa) program focuses on analyzing and reflecting on human rights issues occurring in Malawi, but also aims to involve student journalists at the Malawi Institute of Journalism (MIJ). Inspired by the crime prevention concept where [...]
Tagged as:
human rights,
Radio,
students
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by Katie Lin
July 1, 2011
On March 23 2011, five journalism students from the Malawi Institute of Journalism visited a youth center run by Active Youth in Social Enterprise (AYISE) in the Blantyre township of Bangwe. Victor Kanyema, Acting Programmes Manager of AYISE, gave the group a tour of the grounds and facilitated a discussion about child rights between the [...]
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by Katie Lin
June 22, 2011
Chikondi is crying again. She’s terrified of my camera lens—and of me, for that matter. Her brother’s broad hands land on her shoulders reassuringly and slowly draw her backwards. Her eyes suspiciously fixated on the camera, the petite four-year-old allows herself to be blindly guided until she bumps into the pair of legs behind her. [...]
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by Katie Lin
June 7, 2011
In the northern village of Chako Ntchako, Chimphamba Kataghala guides me from one relative’s house to another as we do the customary rounds of greetings. Somewhere on the road between Aunt Nyamusiyeni and Aunt Nyalweni’s home, he stops to brush the dust away from what appears to be a stone. “See this beacon?” he asks, [...]
Tagged as:
malawi,
suburbia,
urbanization,
village life
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by Katie Lin
May 26, 2011
“Nyimbo imodzi sachezelela gule.” (One song won’t keep you dancing throughout the night.) As this Malawian proverb suggests, just one sexual partner won’t satisfy a person for their entire lifetime. But in a country where approximately 12 per cent of the population is infected with HIV/AIDS and having multiple concurrent relationships is common, only 72 [...]
Tagged as:
condoms,
Health,
HIV/AIDS,
malawi,
safe sex
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by Katie Lin
May 20, 2011
The bride has finally arrived. In one swift movement, she slips out of a Rolls-Royce and gingerly readjusts her dress. It’s the moment the world has been waiting for, including reporters at the Malawi Institute of Journalism (MIJ) in Blantyre: the royal wedding. Crowded around the newsroom television, one reporter comments on Prince William’s hairline [...]
Tagged as:
diplomacy,
malawi,
royal wedding
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by Katie Lin
March 23, 2011
On a cool July evening in Malawi in 2009, 20-year-old Agnes Musolo went into labor. She was only 24 weeks pregnant and, after having already suffered four stillbirths, she feared the worst for her unborn child. But she was struck by another surprise—the “baby” was, in fact, a stone. Interestingly, it wasn’t the first time [...]
Tagged as:
fertility,
malawi,
maternal health
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by Katie Lin
March 8, 2011
By Katie Lin In the middle of Blantyre’s densely-populated township, Ndirande, sits Spencer Video Centre. It’s big, bright blue and blaring seriously loud music. With featured shows ranging from Mexican wrestling to football to Asia’s best Bruce Lee films, these entertainment halls have become a “boy’s club”-type haven for so many men in the urban [...]
Tagged as:
culture,
entertainment,
Gender,
malawi
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