Dechen Wangmo (2011 - 2012)

Bhutan

I have always craved learning. And I love sharing the things that I learn. Being a journalist allows me to do both. And I love my job  wholeheartedly.

Born into a farming family in a remote village in central Bhutan, all Dechen wanted to do in life  was teach, if possible in her own village, so that she could at the same time take care of her aging parents. She did not dream of being a TV journalist. How could she? Her village did not have access to roads, electricity, or telephones, let alone TV.

Dechen nourished the dream of becoming a teacher through high school and college. And, when she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in literature from Sherubtse College, she became a school teacher.  But, she was to undergo a change of heart. She believed in teaching, in shaping the future, and changing the world around her - but not one classroom at a time.

A year later, when she saw a job vacancy for a reporter at the Bhutan Broadcasting Service Corporation (BBS), she seized the opportunity and there has been no looking back. 

Dechen immersed herself in her work, learning the craft of news gathering and storytelling, often travelling on foot for days to remote villages looking for news stories concerning ordinary people, particularly the poor and the needy.
She has always been conscious of her social responsibility. In college, she was an active member of the Social Service Unit, a students’ association that serves the community, especially disadvantaged people, in and around the college. She helped raise funds, construct houses, toilets, provide safe drinking water, supply food rations and educate the villagers on health and hygiene, the benefits of family planning, and sending their children to school.

She applied herself with the same zeal to her new job and within a year, her hard work and dedication paid off. Dechen was promoted to English News Editor for Television News of BBS, a position usually reserved for journalists with decades of experience in the newsroom. In this capacity, she worked with Sauvé alumnus Dawa of the 2005-2006 cohort.

While Dechen missed the thrill of field reporting, she gained invaluable experience in newsroom management and policy matters, playing an active and core role in developing the vision of the organization. Furthermore, she participated in the planning and overseeing of the coverage for Bhutan’s first-ever parliamentary elections in 2008, and the Kingdom’s transition to a democracy.

In September 2009, Dechen returned to the field; since then, she has served as the correspondent for the southern region of Bhutan, covering the commercial and industrial heartland of Bhutan, which borders the strategic part of India’s northern boundary with China. From accompanying the Prime Minister on state visits to neighbouring countries, to covering corruption in trade and industrial relations, she is once again enjoying the process of learning and sharing her learning. As the first female correspondent in the region, she is also proud that she has paved the way for female colleagues to take up postings in bureaus that are considered risky and dangerous.
 
As a Sauvé Scholar, Dechen will study the importance of a free independent media in new and emerging democracies with a focus on public service broadcasting and emphasis on the importance of ensuring that the voices of women are represented proportionately. 

Dechen’s interests are varied. She loves music, traveling, cooking, and writing. She is also an avid reader and a keen student of languages and cultures.

Mother Tongue

Dzongkha, English

Country of origin

Bhutan

Country of Residence

Bhutan

Profession

TV journalist