A better life would not you come out with its lights use issue though at the time cameron was a lovely place but as a young girl i had this image of europe and america as a paradise i thought it would be nice to go to college in europe. So i just came here to study would be a never turning home one day you. So after coming to paradise you realize that it was cold and people were saying is they still do that africa was a continent plagued with crises wars corruption and starving children is that a completely wrong perspective im proud. Yeah i. Well its not quite as black and white as that thats the problem. When i came to this socalled paradise i was confronted with a different reality and the reality was a Young African woman like me comes here and thanks people will be friendly welcoming the point. But we looked different i felt rejected by society. I had never experienced that before. Or and then this negative image of africa Everything Black is bad and that bothered me a lot back then you shifted off we go to this day the legacy of colonialism remains in africa one hundred years after the end of german colonialism germany wants to come to terms with that past what does germany oh its former colonies. Any sense is if you write a great deal actually i believe the present day problems of the african continent are tied to its colonial history with europe. All the time because when european colonialists left africa they didnt leave those nations in a position to take the future into their own hands independently but that. You know even that they left things in a way that made african countries dependent on europe so europe could continue to exploit them. Like that hes a little boy. Thats why we say relations with african nations need to be honest and europeans and western countries still have a system in place when it comes down to about a bandaid on fair trading relations and unfair interference and political affairs. And that has to stop had to be. Otherwise there can be no real working relationship between african and european nations are back with you or me or basically of what there are solid economic and political interests at stake you want to disturb that way. Its been you might be my know for you all because i have only the thing i still dont think the europeans would be the ones to do it because theyve always benefited from this has happened and it has to be from us from the african assize. But for us to shake things out in there has to be a shift in our mindset what i call a mental revolution equal yet. You know after colonialism many people in these countries developed an unfair e. R. C. Complex because the colonialists always said everything that comes from your country is bad yet we are the only ones who can solve your problems and our products are the only good ones. What would they actually change peoples perception of africa one into one oriented to europe and not their own country or one of the people relinquish their ability to make their own decisions like we have to say its time we solve our own problems we want to find our own local solutions and bring africa forward. Thats what i mean by a shift in mindset where africa and many africans have to change their own mindset and say its up to us we can run our own countries and in fact we have to hear the need that the industry and were missing is a bit of an orientation to europe is part of the refugee problem too is not on the refugees look towards europe and imagine a better life there is this huge african Refugee Movement ultimately the legacy of colonialism rekha in that theyre calling out the past and this myth and then that its all connected whatever way we say the police look at the political situation in africa and how a lot of countries still have a democratic system or a political system that is a carbon copy of the european system but we have a completely different culture but one must our institutions imitate european ones like because they left them like that and we just to. Who would normally its up to countries to define their own traditions i going to give a word how can we form our own government so that they reflect our own needs and lives. Lead but we shouldnt just carry on with systems handed down from europe. For me i mean these are the mistakes that some countries are still making and i thought well feel the imma look a little in the shuffle. Since the refugee crisis european politicians have been visiting africa in droves for the german chancellor to be accompanied by Large Business delegations as investment is a key issue for getting africa to stand on its own two feet but these investments are at the discretion of the Business Community and what do you hope that their involvement could bring about a change in attitude or maybe they will take some risks using ideas. Its always interesting what people forget is that development can only happen within the country europeans wont come to africa and develop it africans have to develop africa themselves Africa Africa so you oppose Development Just the doited right local people really understand the local problems. Uncle american doesnt need to come entrepreneurs there are lots of young entrepreneurs and creative people they just dont have the capital to transform their ideas and to products or to set up production facilities in africa that maybe europeans could appreciate that it would be better for africans to make chocolate in africa and stead of exporting cocoa to europe and this would create thousands of jobs in ghana and the ivory coast young people would be employed locally and would no longer head for europe. But europe only wants to make profits and does not think long term that there needs to be a win win situation in this relationship with africa we said for me its really all just a facade. We know exactly what the problems are and all. We need is the capital in those countries not in politicians hands but in the hands of Business People the bits of it wont be just open in the usa there are a lot of Creative Minds in africa are they able to transform their ideas into businesses and what about your country cameroon but the fact that you have not come. Come already well cameroon is a special case. But in fact there are various countries now on the right path when we talk about africa its not all the same its not homogenous some countries really work botswana is doing great economically and politically theres gonna and south africa it means that as an african i can see which countries are like to go see it and set up a business but in cameroon its really difficult at the moment i come up with. The fear and it seems that some of the africans who come to europe can at least afford the journey here or there proactive and courageous taking their fate into their own hands but is it not the wrong people who are fleeing you know to fight for what. Comes with the stuff and its the wrong one to leave yes but there are a lot of factors causing young people to flee. Its human to look around and see where i can live a better life me that its not only africans who face that issue you decide its. It was the same when europeans migration to america its human being is mentally. Were beginning to get cold and those who come to germany are coming to the wrong country if we look at the empty foreign demonstrations in communities last week what impression of germany must they get looking at recent events that target all those letters going to flush germany is not the wrong country to come to that its just that now its not only in germany but in italy or hungry too oh there are lots of European Countries where people are protesting against integration would. It doesnt mean its the wrong country but i think its a question of how you communicate this change in society to the population is. The question is whether we the media have always done a good job here is a quibble with that do we know the background of why so many people flee from their homelands. Have we always informed people here about that have we told them for instance who is behind the holes in the congo there is he the congo is such a rich country yet it is so poor why always why the prices because of the operations of european firms. But people here are not properly informed so they dont understand why others flee their own countries. So racism is also part of the colonial legacy that i live its all connected the way the german media report on africa is always very eurocentric like everything from europe is seen as great fabulous well everything from africa or there is black is negative. Lets watch what is truly right now karen it isnt the headlines when you came to germany it was towns like mearns olinguito rostock with violence towards foreigners did you consider leaving germany and going back to africa. Why no i didnt get all happened quite far away from me like its not as if i dont experience every day racism that every foreigner who lives here. Experiences racism everyday racism i bet you get used to it. How do you deal with it hard to see you but its everywhere in the supermarket on the street on the bus just the way people look at you some people look at you in a friendly way others give you dismissive looks you can say it in peoples body language and some people even give you verbal abuse you get used to it and thats just how it is. Or what you keep fighting for your cause that i will there were fears in weve reached the end of our interview knowing his daughter and i have three unfinished statements that id like you to complete and he did to her and for me germany means budget germany means an awful lot to me thats where i built my future light off the board i feel attached to this country. Really and when i think of cameroon where i was born i think of. My wonderful childhood and how i always dreamed of traveling. My wish for africas future is to me is that it with a confident africans who pursue their goals with discipline and you think about the majority of africans and not just a small group of people that offer claiming their mission for their time to thank you very much thank you. How to cover more than just one reality. Where i come from we have a transatlantic way of looking at things thats because my father is from germany my mother is from the United States of america and so i realized fairly early that it makes sense to explain the different realities. And now here at the heart of the European Union in brussels we have twenty eight different realities and so i think people are really looking for any journalist they can trust for them to make sense of this. Item is not often i work at the double. Time for an upgrade. How about grows on buying. A house with no roof. Or design highlights you can make yourself. Trends tips and tricks that will turn your whole special. 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