A big reason for the excellence of our East African coverage is Sarah Ooko, 27, a freelance journalist based in Nairobi. As a frequent contributor to The EastAfrican, Ooko’s stories are read throughout the region. When not reporting, she works at the Kenyan Alliance of Health and Science Reporters under another of her mentors, the Knight Health Fellow Rachel Jones. The work Ooko produced for Round Earth Media in partnership with Mary Stucky will be broadcast on NPR and other media outlets in the weeks to come.

What have other journalists taught you?

I always look up to journalists who are serious about what they do – those who are in this career not for what they can gain, but for what it enables them to do for mankind.

Such journalists have taught me that if I am looking for satisfaction in this field, I will not find it in the amount of money that I make, the fame that I get, nor from the number of stories that I write. It will only come from the impact that my stories have.

They have taught me to be bold and have faith in what I believe in. As a journalist I should not shy away from highlighting world injustices for fear of what other people may think or do to me. I need to do my part and let the society be the judge.

I have learned that I cannot afford to give up as millions of lives depend on me – as a journalist – to fight for them. The press has the power to talk about anything and be heard. However, that child who dies from an easily preventable disease or a mother who has been held captive by an abusive husband, can do nothing much. They are the voiceless in the society who rely on us.

What challenges about reporting in the field most surprised you?

I was surprised to learn that many people still do not understand the role and significance of the media. We represent the good and the bad in the society, yet we are often viewed as troublemakers.

In the midst of all this suspicion, many people and organizations become oblivious to the fact that through partnership with journalists, they can achieve a lot and benefit millions. That draft agricultural or health policy that has been gathering dust on the shelves for years may be passed in Parliament within a day if the press highlights the plight of drought-stricken families and deteriorating health status of impoverished communities, who also have the power to vote.

What keeps you going during tough assignments?

It is the desire to make a difference in the world or die trying.

Doctors do their best to treat me. Teachers do their best to give me knowledge. Farmers do their best to feed me. Everyone is doing something in the world for me. I need to play my part, too; I cannot let them down. This is my turf – if it has got to be done through journalism, then I just have to do it.

What predicted you would be a global journalist?

Due to the nature of my father’s job (he is a civil servant), we moved to different parts of the country, which exposed me to different cultures. Kenya has more than 42 ethnic tribes, each with a unique culture.

I was also an avid reader, and we would watch and listen to news from local and international news outlets. I realized that even though we all come from diverse backgrounds, we are still somewhat interconnected as world citizens. Since I was raised not only as a Kenyan but as a child of the world, I wanted my passion to encompass both worlds.

As a reporter, whose backpack would you like to ride along in?

I have made it my goal in life to reach out to the most vulnerable in the society. Theirs are the backpacks I would like to ride along in, especially women and children in forgotten corners of the world. I would like to experience what they go through in their day-to-day lives, their challenges and dreams, so that I can represent them well in my stories.

I would also like to ride along the backpacks of journalists who have made an impact in this world. One is the late Mohamed Amin, who brought the world’s attention to the crisis of the 1984 Ethiopian famine.

Backpacks of other historical figures such as the Late Nobel Laureate Prof. Wangari Maathai and Mother Theresa are also worth the ride. It is my hope that by the time I am done in this lifetime, I will have used my journalism career and passion in service of others.

What do you think about the future of international journalism?

To me, just as most Africans, international journalism often refers to news coming from big western media outlets like BBC and CNN. As much as they make us aware of world happenings (and this is really good), the information is not always balanced, especially towards developing nations. Stories about Africa are often laced with biased opinions and negativity. It is more of what the developed world thinks of our situation, and not how we interpret it ourselves.

Since education levels are soaring high in the continent, more and more people are gradually becoming aware of these prejudices, and losing faith in these institutions.

I appreciate that some effort has been made by most international media outlets to rectify this problem, but it is still not enough. And this is not only an African story, but that of other developing nations as well.

It may take a long time before Africa establishes major news outlets that can effectively tell our side of the story to all corners of the world. In the meantime, since all media institutions thrive on numbers, they will have no choice but to change. One of the ways to attain that ultimate goal is through genuine partnership, especially among all international journalists.

What is it like working with Round Earth Media?

Sometimes, when foreign journalists cover stories in Africa, they claim to work with the local journalists, but instead reduce them to “helpers” who tag along to make their life comfortable in the new setting. And that’s just it. The foreign journalists ask all the questions and produce the stories alone without consultation. The result is often a biased story that is far from the real picture on the ground.

Round Earth Media is different. I was involved in the whole process, including the generation of the story idea and had the rare opportunity to represent Africans and Kenya objectively (in an international medium), as we discussed various aspects of the story together. I was a journalist throughout.

Mareike Nessen assisted in compiling this piece.