SBU’s Journalism Without Walls Program Sends Students to Nepal

For two weeks, a group of student journalists experienced life as foreign correspondents in Nepal. Traveling as part of the School of Communication and Journalism’s study abroad program, Journalism Without Walls, the students reported on issues ranging from child trafficking to the Nepali art scene. 

“Journalism Without Walls gives students the chance to experience a completely different part of the world and practice their multimedia journalism skills at the same time,” said Laura Lindenfeld, dean of the School of Communication and Journalism and executive director of the Alda Center for Communicating Science. “For many of our students, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” 

The students were Rafael Fonseca Cruvinel, Viola Flowers and Sara McGiff. Sarah Baxter, journalism instructor and director of the Marie Colvin Center for International Reporting, led the trip. They were welcomed in Kathmandu by Shraddha Verma, an expert in child-trafficking prevention. Verma spent last fall at the Colvin Center as a community solutions fellow sponsored by IREX and the U.S. state department. 

“From arriving in a country they didn’t know, to meeting such a wonderful array of people and turning that into compelling stories, this was a great foundation for the wonderful careers Rafael, Viola and Sara will have as journalists,” said Baxter. “I was so impressed by their passion for storytelling, their work ethic and their sensitivity as interviewers in very difficult circumstances. It was a transformational experience for all the students.” 

The students collaborated on an investigative piece about child trafficking in Nepalese orphanages. Over the past year, the students have worked with their peers to create a toolkit to help student-journalists prepare for the challenges of reporting on crisis and trauma. McGiff said the finished toolkit, funded by the Solutions Journalism Network, helped her exercise empathy while listening to survivor stories in Nepal and cope with the burnout she experienced afterward. 

“For the gravity of the things that we were reporting on, especially as a new journalist right out of school, it can get really overwhelming and sort of traumatizing because you’ve never been exposed to some of these things that you’re seeing,” said McGiff. “After the interview, I was definitely numbed out, but talking about it with Raphael and Viola helped. Having that community, which is something we also mentioned in the Coping with Crisis toolkit, was really helpful.”

Verma, a consultant for ECPAT (End Child Prostitution and Trafficking) and the group’s guide in Nepal, put the students in contact with NGOs that are working to end orphanage trafficking. In addition to interviewing NGO leaders, the students spoke with government workers and trafficking survivors to learn about the root of the problem and efforts underway to combat it. 

Parents often go to great lengths to ensure a better life for their children, but for some parents in Nepal, that can go as far as faking their own death. They believe their children will have a chance at a better life if they are adopted from an orphanage. But a broken system places those same children at a higher risk for being trafficked. 

“Even though it can be daunting, reporting on serious issues like this is gratifying,” said Cruvinel. “It gives you a sense of power over these problems.” 

The trip also took the students through several districts in Nepal, including Nawalpur, where they met with girls working to fight gender discrimination in their society. Starting as early as 12 years old, the girls are taught self defense, how to make menstruation products, and advocacy skills to bring back to their communities as part of a girls’ empowerment program. 

“These girls were some of the most incredible, inspiring people I have ever met,” said Flowers. “I really connected with the girls I met there and could never imagine having such a significant impact on people’s lives at such a young age. They epitomize what it means to be a changemaker and are so genuine and passionate about the work they do.”

In addition to reporting on orphanage trafficking and the girls empowerment program, the students covered bargain culture, traditional Nepali art’s coexistence with Western-influenced Nepali art, and menstrual taboos among girls and women. 

The Journalism Without Walls program is offered in partnership with the International Academic Programs’ Study Abroad Office, and scholarships were available to student participants. In the past, the program has sent students to Kenya, Russia, Korea and Ecuador. 

— Ellice Wallace