From 21^st to 24^th March 2010, Uganda was privileged to host an external evaluator for the CJA project. Dr. Duminasni Moyo from the University of Witwatersrand was evaluating the CJA project in Uganda.

Citizen Journalism in Africa project is a Hivos funded program which is carried out in collaboration with SANGONeT South Africa. It is currently in six African Countries of Uganda, Zambia, South Africa, Tanzania, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

Citizen Journalism is community news and information shared online and/or in print. The content is generated by users and readers. It can be text / blogs, digital storytelling, images, audio file, podcasting or video. Feedback and discussion on issues raised is received in the same way.

It also is a form of citizen media - where individuals write and or comment on issues they feel are left out of the mainstream media. Many issues addressed in citizen journalism tend to be covered in a superficial way by the mainstream media.

Dr. Duminasi who lectures Media studies and literature at the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa visited some of the WOUGNET and BROSDI CJA partners to assess the impact of the project on their organizational activities.

He visited FEMRITE and ISIS-WICCE (WOUGNET members) and also CELAC Kayunga and CELAC mayuge Farmer’s networks (BROSDI members). The visited groups had a privileged of sharing the impact CJA had on them as individuals as well as at organizational level.

Ms. Loyce Kyogabirwe from ISIS-WICCE had this to say “CJA has changed my entire life, I no longer take anything around me for granted” She said that she had realized the power of reporting and that whatever happens in society is worth being reported about.

Mr. Matovu Sotya from CELAC Kayunga Farmers Network said “CJA has changed the lives of farmers in Kayunga, we are now able to Market out products online through the internet”.

The most interesting thing about the evaluation exercise was the fact that, all those who were interviewed had this to say. “The project should NOT stop”. They said that it was now that the project has started bearing fruits especially in Uganda. They requested Hivos to continue funding the project and if possible extend to more African countries.