The investigative journalism training last weekend in Miragoane coincided with the town’s “fête patrimonial.” Still, it didn’t curb my enthusiasm for the training. Most of the nearly two dozen part-time journalists who participated are ‘correspondents’ for radio stations which are based in Port-au-Prince, some two hours away from this coastal town.

Ferew Abebe is an Editor-In-Chief with Sendek, a weekly Amharic newspaper. He’s been covering health for years, but not mental health. He says mental health isn’t a readable topic, since it doesn’t affect the majority of the public. But data from the World Health Organization shows 15-percent of the adults here and 11-percent of children have mental disorders.

When I was invited in June to take part in an international discussion about health issues for senior-level women journalists from developing African countries, I jumped at the chance. I was eager to hear from participants about the challenges they have faced as health editors, reporters and producers for influential media organizations.