Pulitzer Center Update

Amanda Sperber Wins One World Media Award

Lilias Diria with her son Abraham, age 2, in their home in the Bidi Bidi settlement in Uganda, June 25, 2019. Image by Adriane Ohanesian. Uganda, 2019.

Lilias Diria with her son Abraham, age 2, in their home in the Bidi Bidi settlement in Uganda, June 25, 2019. Image by Adriane Ohanesian. Uganda, 2019.

Grantee Amanda Sperber's Pulitzer-supported story "In Refugee Settlements in Uganda, Survivors Grapple With How to Raise Children Born of Rape" was announced a winner at the One World Media Awards in the Popular Features category.

The story describes the harrowing conditions faced by refugees fleeing South Sudan in the aftermath of the country's five-year war. For the project, Sperber, along with Pulitzer Center grantee Adriane Ohanesian, spent time with South Sudanese women in order to report on their experiences, diagnosis, treatment options, and recovery in Ugandan health care centers.

The One World Media Awards celebrate underreported stories that break down stereotypes, change the narrative, and connect people from different cultures. The Popular Features Award jury said of Sperber's story: "The jury unanimously agreed this piece was a worthy winner for its haunting descriptions of sexual violence. The jury appreciated that Amanda Sperber’s sensitive approach still didn't shy from highlighting the impact of war and the complex journey survivors of sexual violence face."

To read the announcement and learn more, click here.