Curriculum Vitae Els De Temmerman

Born

Oudenaarde (Belgium), 10th February 1962

Studies

Masters in Germanic Languages
Catholic University Louvain
Belgium

Professional Career

  • 1984 – 1987: Lecturer at Feng Chia University, Taichung, Republic of China
  • 1987 – 1988: Aid worker Médecins Sans Frontières, Nyala, Sudan
  • 1988 – 1990: Staff reporter ‘Het Volk’ (Belgian daily)
  • 1990 – 1992: Staff reporter ‘Wereldwijd’ (Belgian magazine on development issues)
  • 1992 – 1995: Africa correspondent ‘De Volkskrant’ (newspaper in the Netherlands) and ‘BRT’ (Belgian Radio & Television), based in Nairobi (Kenya)
  • 1995 – 1996: Adviser to the Belgian Minister for Development Cooperation, Brussels
  • 1996 – 1997: Africa correspondent ‘De Volkskrant’ and ‘BRT’ based in Kampala (Uganda)
  • 1997 – 1999: Africa correspondent ‘De Morgen’ (Belgian daily) and ‘VTM’ (Flemish Television) based in South Africa
  • 2000 – 2002: Columnist for ‘De Standaard’ (Belgian daily)
                       Lecturer on Africa
                       Assistant in the European Parliament and ACP/EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly
  • 2000 – to date: Founder/Executive Director of ‘Sponsoring Children Uganda’ (Belgian NGO paying school fees for 3,200 formerly abducted children in Northern Uganda with the revenues of the book ‘Aboke Girls’ and lectures – a project of 2m euro)
  • 2003 – 2006: Coordinator of Rachele Rehabilitation Centre, Lira (construction and running of a centre for the rehabilitation and reintegration of formerly abducted children in northern Uganda, funded by the Belgian Government to an amount of 3m euro)
  • 2006 – 2010: Editor-in-Chief The New Vision (Uganda’s leading daily)


Author of

  • The Horn of Agony, Sudan, Ethiopia and Somalia

    Davidsfonds, Belgium, 1992
     
  • The Dead are Alive : Rwanda, an eyewitness

    De Arbeiderspers, The Netherlands, 1994 (also a movie)
     
  • Africa, Continent in Motion

    Icarus/De Standaard, Belgium, 1997
  • Africa in a Vicious Circle

    Muller Lecture for the Diplomatic Corps in the Hague, the Netherlands, 2000
  • Aboke Girls, abducted Children in northern Uganda

    Scoop, Belgium, 2000/Fountain Publishers, Uganda, 2001
    (also translated in Spanish, Italian and French)
  • Open letter on Globalisation, The Debate

    Cabinet of the Belgian Prime Minister, 2001
  • And then I had to bite to death my brother

    Houtekiet, 2007

Freelance Work for

  • KRO Television (the Netherlands)

  • VPRO Radio (the Netherlands)

  • BRT Radio (Belgium)

  • NOS Television (the Netherlands)

  • Vrij Nederland (magazine in the Netherlands)

  • De Wereld Morgen (Belgian magazine)

  • De Standaard Magazine (Belgium)

  • Uit Magazine (Belgium)


African Countries covered

  • Kenya

  • Tanzania/Zanzibar

  • Somalia/Somaliland

  • Sudan

  • Ethiopia
  • 
Eritrea

  • Rwanda

  • Uganda

  • Burundi

  • Democratic Republic of Congo

  • South Africa

  • Zimbabwe

  • Mozambique

  • Namibia

  • Botswana

  • Zambia

  • Nigeria

  • Liberia

  • Sierra Leone

  • Mali

  • Burkina Faso

  • Togo

  • Ghana

  • Congo-Brazzaville

  • Central African Republic

  • Equatorial Guinea

  • Benin

  • Côte d’Ivoire

  • Gabon


Languages

  • Dutch

  • English

  • French

  • German


Awards

  • Dick Scherpenzeel Award, Minister of Development Cooperation (the Netherlands, 1994)

  • Media Person of the Year (Belgium, 1994)

  • Woman of the Year (Belgium, 1995)

  • Prize of the Dutch Daily Press (the Netherlands, 1995)

  • Award of the Catholic University of Kortrijk (Belgium, 2001)

  • Gulden Spoor Award (Belgium, 2004)

  • Guinness Power of Goodness Award (Uganda, 2004)

  • Vocational Service Award for outstanding utilisation of Vocational Skills as a Journalist to the benefit of the community in need (Rotary Club Kampala, Uganda 2004-2005)