– Amazwi will use funds to establish a quarterly student publication –

Amazwi, an upstart non-profit organization serving women in rural South Africa, announced that it has been awarded a grant from the Lonely Planet Foundation. The grant, equivalent to approximately $20,000 USD, will be used to establish a narrative-form, regional newspaper in Amazwi’s service area.

“Amazwi is honored to be chosen as a grant recipient of Lonely Planet,” said Amazwi founder and director Maggie Messitt. “These funds are much needed to establish and maintain Amazwi’s student newspaper, which will be the cornerstone of Amazwi’s School of Media Arts curriculum.”

Amazwi School of Media Arts (SOMA) students will contribute articles to Amazwi’s regional newspaper as part of their training curriculum. SOMA is an adult certificate program, featuring apprentice-style instruction techniques, to train women for foot reporter positions in South African print media. SOMA is one component of Amazwi’s larger mission to empower and educate rural South African women in the media arts and utilize nonfiction narrative to preserve indigenous cultures and document local issues.

Lonely Planet, the world’s most successful independent travel information company, publishes comprehensive guidebooks in both print and electronic formats. The foundation donates to charities in developing countries around the world and encourages readers to “travel widely, tread lightly and give sustainably.”