Halima Athumani is a seasoned freelance journalist based in Uganda, with a rich background in radio, television, and multimedia reporting. With over 13 years of experience in the field, she has made significant contributions to various international media outlets, including Voice of America's Africa desk for both radio and television, US-based National Public Radio, and as the podcast host of an ongoing war crimes trial in Sweden. Athumani's work has been featured on platforms such as SciDev.Net and she has also produced content for Public Radio International-America Abroad Media, BBC, and podcasts for the University of Cambridge. Before her international engagements, Athumani honed her skills in local Ugandan media, working with 93.3 KFM from 2006 to 2009 and the Uganda Radio Network-News Agency from 2010 to 2014. Her foray into television journalism began in 2016 with an investigative piece titled "Uganda's Health Pyramids," which aired on Al Jazeera's People and Power, supported by Banyak Films-UK. This marked the start of her impactful storytelling through visual media, which has since included special assignments and documentaries. Beyond her reporting, Athumani has played a crucial role as a fixer, collaborating with renowned photographers and filmmakers from National Geographic, BBC, and other international production crews from Japan and Germany. Her local production work includes "The Messenger" (2021) and a BBC documentary series on farming in Uganda (2018-2019). Athumani's journalism provides a window into the social, political, and cultural landscapes of Sub-Saharan Africa, with a focus on Uganda and Kenya. Her reporting delves into topics such as education, the illegal ivory trade, women's writing groups, and innovative health initiatives, offering a nuanced perspective on the challenges and transformations within East African communities.
Comfort Dogs. A radio feature story on how war victims are using dogs to get over PSTD in Northern Uganda -Gulu district that I did for the BBC World Service.
This is a documentary produced by Banyak Films for Al Jazeera People and Power with Halima Athumani as the reporter. The story investigates Uganda's health pyramids specifically the dealings of Tianshe/Tiens a Chinese company that operates around the world.
HIV is still a huge challenge in Uganda and this story was about how the lack of HIV drugs forced Uganda to limit treatment to patients. Story was done for Anadolu Agency
This is a feature done for Anadolu Agency about Zika Virus and its origin in Uganda after news broke out of deaths in Brazil.
This was an education and development radio package done by Halima Athumani in Kenya and Uganda on how Madrassas are used to develop the girl child's education.
This is a radio package done for America Abroad Media about the devastating illegal wildlife trade of ivory coming from National Parks in Uganda and are sold to countries outside Africa.