Khalfan Said

Seasoned photojournalist of The Guardian newspaper, Khalfan Said, has emerged the overall winner in the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) competition this year.

Said and 17 other winners were awarded on June 20, this year by the Deputy Minister for Home Affairs Pereira Silima. The photojournalist went home with a brand new laptop in recognition for his outstanding journalism work on refugees’ protection and assistance.

Judica Laswai from the TBC was named the first runner up and was awarded a video camera, and Erick Nampesya from the BBC Tanzania was the second runner up and was awarded a still camera.

In an interview, Said said that the UNHCR competition attracted 42 entries and he submitted four - three news stories and a pictorial highlighting various activities done by refugees living at the Mishamo Settlement for ex-Burundi refugees and communities surrounding it.

According to him, the UNHCR every year invites media organisations to nominate journalists for visiting ex-Burundi refugee camps of Mishamo and Katumba in Katavi region and that of Uliyankuru in Tabora region.

“I was nominated to visit Mishamo Settlement… while there, I got the opportunity to talk to them, accustom with their economic activities, observe how they live in those settlements, talk to villagers in surrounding communities and even talk to local government leaders,” he said.

Other winners in the competition are, Joseph Mwamunyange (The East African), Celina Wilson (Uhuru), Selemani Semunyu (ITV), George Njogopa (Sauti ya Ujerumani) Emanuel Herman (The Citizen), Said Makala (Channel Ten), Denis Rwambano (Mtanzania) and Joseph Mpangala (Star TV).