The Citizen Journalism in Africa (CJA) Project, a partnership programme between SANGONeT and Hivos, turns three in 2010. This was the main focus of CJA’s ‘Keep in Touch’ meeting held from 16-18 November in Johannesburg, where 14 citizen journalists from six countries met with the programme partners to assess the input and impact of the project within participating organisations. In addition, Country Focal Point (CFP) members presented their country reports and charted the way forward.

The ‘Keep in Touch 2009’ meeting took place at Lesedi cultural village. The majority of attendants were excited. Not because the venue embodied the rural and traditional way of life that some living in big cities have never experienced, but because they had the opportunity with this meeting to provide feedback and share their experiences with the CJA program.

“We are so grateful because CJA trainings and Hivos finding has helped us open an informatics centre, which will help us touch a wide community and sustain our work…”, said Kafusha Mfula of the Copperbelt Health Education Project (CHEP).

The CFP members shared their three years’ experience of working with SANGONeT and Hivos on the CJA. They highlighted the cutting-edge nature of the trainings provided throughout these past years, especially on the use of social media, web 2.0 and mobile technology. In their feedback, the CPFs were able to identify the challenges they are facing and they explored ways to sustain the knowledge acquired once the program ends in February 2010.

Rather than just reporting on their experience with CJA in behalf of participating organisations in their respective countries, the CFPs’ members have initiated an open online Discussion Group on the way forward to among other things: continue the interaction; make a decision on whether the CJA portal should be open to other organisations currently not participating in the project; explore the best way of disseminating the CJA content; and many other related issues. The forum will start running soon on the CJA portal.

The Keep in Touch meeting also provided an opportunity for the Hivos CJA programme manager, Jon Campbell, and SANGONeT’s Executive Director, David Barnard, to hear about the project’s achievements and the progress thus far. Despite permanent challenges such as language and limited Internet access in most participating countries, many organisations have benefited from the CJA training programmes, and internet connectivity sponsored by Hivos.

“We have streamlined citizen journalism into our other projects in rural Uganda to the extent that we will keep running the project without financial support from CJA”, explained Ednah Karamagi of the Busoga Rural Open Source & Development Initiative (BROSDI).

Thanks to the CJA secretariat, Janine Moolman and Samantha Marx for the planning and support as well as to Nicolle Beeby, Brett Davidson and Matthew De Gale for successfully facilitating CJA training programmes in the past three years. Also, our gratitude to all CJA partner organisations for participating in the project and sharing the work they do in their countries and through the CJA project.

Overall, I am overwhelmed to hear that organisations as well as individuals have been empowered by the programme. The biggest challenge now should be to find ways of taking the CJA work beyond next February. This discussion is actually taking place in the CJA Discussion Group (bottom front page). All CJA members are urged to login and to participate in the discussion in order to share with everyone their opinion and suggestion on a range of concerns.

Well-done, everyone!