Kampala to Bonn with Heinz Kühn Foundation

In a few days time I will be going back to my country having spent four months in Germany. I will be going back a better person having learned a lot, but most importantly, I will be going back as an experienced journalist. And one that has just started to live their dream thanks to the Heinz Kühn Foundation.

Ruth Aine at the Deutsche Welle studios in Bonn

The Heinz Kühn Foundation is funded by the state of North Rhine Westphalia and works to support and develop the skills of young journalists. It offers grants to German journalists to travel to developing countries and also offers journalists from developing countries to come to Germany for training and professional development.

I first heard about the Heinz Kühn Foundation, late last year, through a friend from DW-Radio and the DW-Akademie. I was encouraged to apply and at the same time I also started to learn German. I used some personal savings to pay for my first German language course at the Goethe Institute in Kampala.

Today, I can boast that it was an investment well made.

Earlier this year in March the Foundation notified me that I had been granted a journalism bursary and would have the opportunity to come to Germany for training. I remember smiling from ear to ear, calling my father and telling him I had been accepted. It was a miracle. It was a great feeling. I am definitely the first of my high school, and university peers who went on into journalism, to have gained such an important opportunity. Perhaps what’s more interesting is that I am the first East African to become a Heinz Kühn scholar in over 10 years.  Hopefully I have represented East Africa and my country and done them both proud.

This year, the foundation also granted bursaries to journalists from Chile, Guinea, Brazil and Togo.

Having the opportunity to travel through Germany and Europe has also been exciting and a valuable learning experience. During the past 4 months I have travelled to Brussels, Berlin, Nürnberg, Erlangen, Munich and Cologne. Through the Foundation and its Executive Director, Ute Maria Killian, I have also had the chance to meet politicians such as the Premier of North Rhine Westphalia, Hannelore Kraft.

NRW Premier Hannelore Kraft, Ute Maria Kilian, Stefan Ast, Euphrasie Yeme & Ruth Aine

And then there’re the funny things of travelling to new places, and of course tasting new food. While living in Bonn I’ve tried all sorts of German food. I also have fallen in love with rucola or a rocket – a green vegetable used in making vegetable salads and pizza. The European menu has more types of salads than I had ever dreamt of. And then there’s Tiramisu – now my favourite dessert.

As I’m a radio journalist, my professional training included working in the Africa service of Deutsche Welle Radio in Bonn. It’s has been insightful. It is not every day that you get to hold interviews with specialists on African affairs, for instance from Chatham House.

Professionally I have learned a lot. I worked with intelligent and dedicated colleagues in the Africa service who shared their knowledge. I produced several radio reports for broadcast,  and I learned to use sophisticated digital editing software.

Snowy summit on the Zugspitze

Looking back there are so many highlights. Seeing and using the underground train for the first time was a marvel. Who would have thought that Germany is a land that boasts over 20 types of beer. I visited the highest point of Germany, the Zugspitze near Munich which is about 3000 meters above sea level. I experienced a cruise on the River Rhine. I experienced a great culture and met great people. And I must say I fell in love with Germany´s United Nations city, Bonn. This was so far the best spent 4 months of my life ever.

The travel, the food, the Goethe Institute in Bonn and the Deutsche Welle are themselves a learning experience. Yes, I will have clothes that I have bought here, I will have photos from my trip, but none of these things will equal the experience of being able to come to Germany, be appreciated and recognised and work with one of the finest international public broadcasters, Deutsche Welle.  For that I will forever be thankful. Thank you very much Heinz Kühn Foundation for giving me the honour and the privilege of this experience in Germany and the chance to represent my country Uganda.

Africa service newsroom DW-Radio Bonn

Ruth Aine participated in a DW-AKADEMIE election reporting workshop for radio journalists in Kampala in September 2010. She was awarded a Heinz Kühn Foundation bursary in 2011. You can follow Ruth on Twitter @ruthaine .