Rhoda N. Gachui
P.O. Box 50492-00200, Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: 254-722-328624
Email: rgachui@gmail.com

PERSONAL INFORMATION
Nationality: Kenyan
Date of birth: 6th April 1979
Place of birth: Nairobi, Kenya

OBJECTIVE
To educate, entertain and inform through the media, while striving to bridge the gap between communicating and meeting consumer demands.

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
United States International University, Africa 1999-2002
Bachelor of Arts in Journalism (Honors: Cum Laude)

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Video Journalist/Filmmaker
Nairobi, Kenya
March 2005 – to date
I work as an independent producer, director, scriptwriter and cameraperson for film, TV shows, documentaries, infomercials and advertisements.

Correspondent
QZ Magazine, Kenya
June – December 2006
I sourced and wrote feature stories for the QZ magazine.

Producer/Researcher/Director/Scriptwriter/Camera
Media Development in Africa (MEDEVA), Kenya
December 2003 – February 2005
I worked as a researcher and director on the production of an ‘Arts & Culture Campaign’- a series of advertisements for the Ford Foundation.
I also worked as a producer, director, presenter, scriptwriter and cameraperson on Tazama! a Kenyan TV and radio programme. I was awarded Religious Writer of the Year and nominated Children’s Rights and Education Journalist of the Year, at the Journalist of the Year Awards (JOYA) in Kenya, for my work on Tazama!

TV Producer
Picasso Productions Ltd, Kenya
April – November 2003
My duties and responsibilities included public relations, project management, as well as producing, directing and scripting for corporate documentaries.

Correspondent
The Standard Ltd, Kenya
April – December 2003
I sourced and wrote feature stories for ‘The Standard’, a Kenyan daily newspaper.

WORK EXPERIENCE
Intern
Vivid Features Ltd, Kenya
May – November 2002
While an intern at Vivid Features, in conjunction with CNN Nairobi, my duties and responsibilities included video editing, camera work and script writing.

Intern
CNN International, Nairobi Bureau, Kenya
May - August 2002
As an intern at CNN’s Nairobi bureau, work entailed research, video editing, camera work, script writing and news/feature coverage

Intern
AfricaOnline.com, Kenya
February -April 2002
I worked as an intern on the web portal AfricaOnline.Com. My duties and responsibilities included website maintenance/management, updating and editing of news/feature/travel stories, updating and editing of forums/web pages, creating of interactive features for the website and manipulation of graphics.

SKILLS
Languages: English, Basic Spanish, Kiswahili, Kikuyu

Software: Ms Word, Ms Excel, Ms Access, Ms PowerPoint, Ms Dos, Ms FrontPage, Adobe PageMaker

Hobbies: Dancing, Writing, Reading, Swimming, Cycling, Photography, Traveling

COMMUNITY SERVICE
USIU alumni
2006 to date
As a member of the USIU Alumni, I have been involved in community work conducted by the association.

Association of Media Women in Kenya (AMWIK)
2005 to date
As a member of AMWIK, I have helped coordinate activities for the annual fundraising dinner aimed at raising funds for scholarships, which enable media women in Kenya to pursue higher education. I have been involved in community work carried out by the association.

Standard Chartered Marathon
2007
I was a participant in the marathon, which raised funds for Standard Chartered Bank’s ‘Seeing is Believing’ campaign, aimed at eradicating avoidable blindness.

Women AIDS Run
2003
I was a participant in the run aimed at raising funds for women and children affected by HIV/AIDS in Kenya.

First-Step Kindergarten
2001
I volunteered as a teacher and child caretaker at this kindergarten which provides early childhood education.

USIU Charity Extravaganza
2001
I coordinated activities aimed at raising money to assist poor families residing in the Marurui slums of Nairobi, Kenya.

HONORS AND AWARDS
2006 to date: Member, USIU Alumni

2006: My documentary, by the toil of children, was presented at Harvard University on request from Voices for Africa, an organization of students from the School of Education.

2005-to date: Member of the Association of Media Women in Kenya (AMWIK).

2005: Awarded Religious Writer of the Year, at the Kenyan Journalist of the Year Awards (JOYA). Nominated Children’s Rights and Education Journalist of the Year, at the Kenyan Journalist of the Year Awards (JOYA)

2002: Graduated USIU-A Class of 2002 with Cum Laude Honors and a G.P.A of 3.66

2002-1999: Awarded Dean’s List for outstanding academic performance.