In the current edition of ONE, Emeline Wuilbercq takes us to the Kidist Mariam Center in Ethiopia and discovers how it is offering skills to young Ethiopians and helping them stay in their homeland. Here, she offers some additional impressions.
Throughout my reporting career in Ethiopia, I have met hundreds of passionate people. I have been reporting mostly on politics, especially on the crackdown on protests in some parts of the country. I believe journalists have a duty to voice people’s concerns. But I strongly believe it is also our duty to deliver more than just sad news. Practicing “solutions journalism” is a good way of doing it.
Instead of writing about the problems, those who practice “solutions journalism” strive to write about how people can address those problems and offer solutions. In the end, the reader understands that, despite the challenges, there is hope. I’m not used to writing these kinds of “positive stories” but I’m convinced they offer another valuable perspective beyond most of the articles we read daily in the media. And I’m quite sure this journalism is just as rigorous and compelling as any other.
I experienced this kind of journalism when I reported at the Kidist Mariam Center. Visiting this training center — operated by the Community of St. Paul, in the Ethiopian town of Meki, about 80 miles south of the capital Addis Ababa — was both touching and delightful. It was touching because I met young and poor girls exposed to the danger of migration. They used to work abroad as housemaids to support their families. They were having hard times living abroad, with the fear of being beaten, sexually harassed, or facing other forms of exploitation and mistreatment. But it was also delightful because this center allowed them to foresee a better future in their hometown.
I spent a day there interviewing many of them and had no qualms disturbing them during their training. I was very impressed by one of them: Serkalem Keder, the aspiring pastry chef. She had been taking cooking classes at Kidist Mariam Center for the last seven months. Her shy smile betrayed her happiness, a feeling she had forgotten while she was out of her country. She had been through hard times in Saudi Arabia, but she keeps it for herself. When I met her, the only thing that mattered is how she is improving her cooking skills so that she can get a decent job and make a better living in her own country.
I met many Serkalems, whose lives changed thanks to the center. I felt humbled in front of those strong women who were almost my age. I was also happy to be able to share this story with readers who could help support the center, enabling it to train more young people and give them hope.
Discover more in the December 2017 edition of ONE.