The third edition of the Summer School of Writing and Journalism (EEEJ Senior 2025) concluded on Saturday, August 9, crowning Beninese journalist Sêmèvo Bonaventure Agbon as the Grand Prix winner.
The event, organized by the Vallet Foundation and the NGO Benin Excellence, brought together aspiring journalists from across Africa for two weeks of intensive workshops, fieldwork, and intellectual exchange.
Describing the experience as “unique, unforgettable, and intensely enriching,” Malagasy participant Hailey Andriafanomezana said: “In two weeks, we experienced Africa in its hospitality, its sometimes questionable past, and its contemporary challenges.
We also encountered Europe… not the Europe of history textbooks, but that of the people, human, fraternal, concerned with rebuilding ties with Africa.”
Under the theme Memory(s) and Mirror, EEEJ Senior 2025 became a platform for reflection on history, heritage, and identity. Participants explored questions such as: Who are we? Where are we going? What memories should we safeguard? And how should Africa position itself in its dialogue with Europe?
The program featured participants from seven countries—Togo, Madagascar, Chad, Burkina Faso, Benin, Senegal, and Cameroon—engaging in panels, workshops, and discussions with leading figures including Wenceslas Mahoussi, Georges Amlon, Angelo Dan, Abdoulaye Benon Monra, and Sinatou Saka.
Topics ranged from journalism in Africa, the geopolitical dimensions of memory, the role of diaspora communities, local languages in education, to the restitution of cultural properties.
The closing masterclass, led by Sinatou Saka, emphasized the urgent need to reinvent African journalism and reclaim the continent’s narrative in the digital age.
Agbon, editor at Bénin Intelligent, won the Grand Prix for his analytical article on “the e-reputation of Vodun or the symbolic war 2.0,” examining how digital platforms, especially TikTok, are shaping the discourse around Vodun practices.
“I came simply to learn… and I’m leaving with a prize. Obviously, I’m overwhelmed with emotion,” he said.
Three additional awards recognised exceptional contributions: the Rising Star Award to Edouard Hountondji, the Roseau Award to Chadian hydrologist Yasmine Hassan Ahmat Djefil, and the Best Writing Award to Mamadou Ly from Senegal.
The articles produced during EEEJ Senior 2025 will be published in a special edition of La Palabre, offering a vivid reflection of the program’s rich debates and innovative perspectives on journalism across Africa.
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