Damilola Banjo, Nigeria, 34. Ms. Banjo is an experienced journalist with almost a decade of work covering health, education, social justice, and foreign affairs. She has worked with the BBC as a senior journalist and has contributed to Al Jazeera, OpenDemocracy, which is an independent international media platform, and numerous media organizations in her home country. She is also a two-time Emmy nominee. Some of her stories, such as women in a lockdown with their rapists, read like a thriller. Her frequent contributions to Passblue show an understanding of United Nations programs and agencies. She has a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University.

Serhii Barbu, Ukraine, 31. Mr. Barbu works for Channel 5 TV. He began his career as a war correspondent covering the eastern region of Ukraine. He then became an anchor for a midday news program. His responsibilities include preparing and planning programs, writing news segments and video editing. He emphasizes that he would not tolerate any form of censorship. Channel 5 has been cited in the Kyiv press for its independent news coverage.

Kugyershin Khuangan, Mongolia, 34. Ms. Khuangan is a political correspondent and fact-checker for TV programs. Kugyershin served as GoGo News Agency’s chief correspondent in “The State Great Hural/Parliament/of Mongolia.” She has reported on human rights, gender-based violence, and climate change. GoGo became the first news site in Mongolia to become an official partner of the BBC. She received her MS degree from Shaoxing University in China and her BA degree from the Ivanovo State University in Russia.

Alex Baluku, Uganda, 32. Mr. Baluku is Chief News Editor of Rwenzori Daily, an independent online newspaper. He is known for his comprehensive work on deforestation due to commercial charcoal and firewood production with roots in widespread tree felling. His groundbreaking coverage includes plastic waste, Africa’s melting snow and novel cricket-based food sources, as well as wildlife and water sources. He has received training from global research organizations such as the National Association of Science Writers, the French Embassy, InfoNile, a cross-border group of geojournalists, and several others, which gave him grants. As Secretary of Journalists in the Kasese District in western Uganda he has received numerous awards for his expertise.