‘Radio Salus’ like ‘kindergarten’ for aspiring journalists

I grew up in what I may call the ‘academic’ Huye District, home of the former National University of Rwanda, which at the time was the biggest higher learning institution in the country.

Known as Butare Town in the past, Huye District hosts several universities, including the University of Rwanda’s College of Arts and Social Sciences (CASS).

The University of Rwanda (UR) was formed in 2013 when several institutions merged, including the National University of Rwanda. CASS, located on the site that used to be known as the National University of Rwanda, is still the biggest of the UR’s campuses.

My family lives a small distance from the CASS. As a child, I did not have any idea of what a university offered, let alone thinking of becoming a student at this university. As the years passed, and during my upper primary schooling, I started seeing my relatives enrolling in the National University of Rwanda and I started developing an interest.

I was even more interested when the university started its student radio station, known as Radio Salus, as part of the School of Journalism and Communication (SJC).

Imitating women journalists

I first started listening to Radio Salus when I was still in primary school and liked most of its programmes – especially the youth programmes. The talk shows were focused on the youth and produced by young and talented people who were in the SJC.

I remember everyone at home asking us to switch to Radio Salus because of its variety of programmes.

When I started secondary school, I was keen on joining Salus. I volunteered as a news anchor during morning assemblies and tried to imitate some journalists, especially the women.

All Radio Salus staff were university students, either in the SJC or volunteers who used the station as a platform to turn theory into practice.

Most of the Salus journalists became local and even international journalists, while others work as communications agents at local and renowned institutions.

How did I get there?

When I was in the upper secondary level at school (the last years before finishing school), I enrolled in English, Kiswahili, and Kinyarwanda (EKK), a language subject combination taken by most students who eventually become journalists. Each night, I had to make time to prepare the news that was trending during the day and wrote down everything that had transpired the previous day.

I developed an interest in storytelling and that is when I became interested in pursuing a journalism career. I felt like I had to be a journalist. So, I started pondering on how one became a professional journalist.

I learned from a colleague that it could be easier for a secondary student with the same background as mine to become a journalist. The college told me that applications should be made while in senior six (the last year of secondary school) and, when you get good results, you qualify and are enrolled in the SJC.

So, I just had to do all I could to become a journalist. I started working hard in class and was accepted into the SJC.

When I joined the SJC at the University of Rwanda, I was somewhat disappointed because the school was in Kigali but Radio Salus was 126km south of the capital city.

Acquiring hands-on skills

The SCJ relocated to Kigali in 2012 when the National University of Rwanda decided students should be closer to the different media houses to get practical experience.

However, six years later – after the merger – the University of Rwanda moved the SJC back to Huye so students could get practical skills at Radio Salus.

When the school relocated, I was among the first students to apply for an internship, and I started participating in free talk shows with other colleagues who were used to the radio operation system.

Later, as I got used to the processes, I started covering news and produced recordings that could be aired in news bulletins. As a student, that helped me acquire skills in broadcast media.

I learned interviewing techniques and started covering even high-profile officials just before I graduated from the university.

I also learned how to cover in-depth news and documentaries which should reveal more information about any topic. That helped me get used to reading different materials and books to be able to produce a good documentary.

I am now airing a documentary on how to cook, called Duteke neza. This is an amazing programme that attracts a huge listenership. Many people call in and ask for more information or advice.

Being an intern helps a student explore professional practice. It also creates the opportunity to learn about the working environment and become accustomed to working in different circumstances. Every year, the SJC provides a 30-day internship for journalism students in level three.

Source of knowledge

The internship helped me to put into practice the theory I had learned in class, and to get used to the differences in school and working environments. It also prepared me to be a job creator by becoming more innovative to initiate new programmes. It built my confidence.

I still work at Radio Salus as a news presenter and am involved with different programmes, including talk shows. As Radio Salus continues to welcome young interns, mainly from the SJC, I also play a part in ensuring that they are mentored and get used to various radio programmes.

Radio Salus has been a source of knowledge for me, and I have learned a lot so far, but I have also made my contribution. I am thankful to RU and the SJC for the internship opportunity.

Radio Salus was officially inaugurated in November 2005, with 26 students attending a training session organised by UNESCO. Since its inception, hundreds of students have been trained there.

The station has the objectives to educate Rwandan people to reach sustainable development goals through agriculture, health, society and sports talk shows.

Radio Salus broadcasts on 97.0 FM and 101.9 FM stereo. You can listen to it online or through Tune on your smartphone.

Alice Tembasi (25) lives in Rwanda’s Huye District and recently graduated from the University of Rwanda’s School of Journalism and Communication. She works as a volunteer at Radio Salus.

The picture accompanying this blog was updated after publication. A picture of Alice Warue was initially published. University World News regrets the error.