Journalists@Work: Alimou Sow

Prize-winning Guinean blogger Alimou Sow isn’t strictly a journalist. By day, the 32 year old works for an international organisation in Conakry. By night, he writes his blog immensely popular Ma Guinée plurielle (My diverse Guinea). With posts ranging from a reflection of city living to young men searching out traditional healers, his colorful and entertaining blog looks at the minutiae of everyday life in his country. We think this is akin to journalism which is why we have included Alimou in our Journalists@Work series. Earlier this year, Sow won Deutsche Welle’s The Bobs Users prize for best French-language blog.

DW Akademie’s Bob Barry caught up with Alimou Sow when he came to Germany for his prize last month.

How did you come up with the idea of writing a blog?

Even back then I wanted to be a part of the changing world, to learn and to develop with other young people. And I started asking myself how I could do this. The path I ended up taking was the Internet and it really was a privilege for me to be able to do this.

What was the last topic that you found interesting that you covered in your blog?

It was called “A Farewell letter to my fridge“. I wrote to my refrigerator to let it know that I didn’t like it anymore. We have been together for quite some time but recently it has been letting me down and it just does what it wants. In reality, I knew that it isn’t my fridge’s fault, the problem really lies with the electricity supply in Guinea.

What did you want to say with your blog’s name: My diverse Guinea?

I want to show Guinea from a certain perspective. I take a close look at Guinea and also take a close look at the daily life of Guineans. I have a particular way of seeing my country that is tempered with a certain amount of love for my own kind. There isn’t one particular subject that I stick to. Rather I choose topics that other Guineans can relate to very easily because many of us share the same reality. What I talk about is how many people live their lives.

What is your guiding principle then?

Well, my blog gives a glimpse of the socio-cultural life of Guinea. So I look at Guinea from the social point of view, because my specialty, if you want to talk of a specialty, is I don’t mention politics on my blog. Politics are excluded. I prefer to talk about social aspects of Guinea. That’s what I chose to write about because I think that with all the problems Guinea faces it would be easy to be absorbed with these but I don’t want to do that on my blog. Rather I want to talk about subjects that directly affect and touch Guineans everyday lives.

Can you tell us about an interview or an experience that has changed your life as a blogger?

Just starting to write the blog has radically changed my life. It has made me what I am today. Now I take part in conferences and international forums and it’s amazing because I started and now I have this modest success and I am very happy to have won Deutsche Welle’s prize for my blog.

What do you like most about blogging?

I particularly like knowing that there are people on the other side of the world that I am reaching and touching from my room, from my suburb in Conakry. The idea that these people on the other side of the world understand and recognize what I am saying and writing about makes me really happy and makes me smile. This is what fuels my blogging, knowing that people on the other side of the world appreciate the work and it encourages me to continue.

And what don’t you like about blogging?

In theory, there isn’t much at all that I don’t like because blogging gives me a platform. In practice, maybe what I don’t like is that connecting to the Internet can be so difficult and it can take me forever just to upload a picture. The rest is great.

What is your dream as a blogger?

My dream is a modest one – to illuminate parts of Guinean society and also to be an example for young people so that they can see, yes it is possible. I was born in a village about 20 km from Conakry and I see myself as a boy from the village. I only studied at government schools but with work and courage I managed to make my way. So if I have a dream, a modest one, it would be to inspire other people and to be an example to them. I want them to know that they can also overcome hurdles and achieve things in life.

What tools are most important for your work?

The Internet because I need that to do everything that I do. There are also two other things I need  – a laptop, which is of course absolutely necessary for a blogger and a camera or a phone that can take photos that are good enough to publish. And specifically in my case, I also need mobile internet, or 3G.