The AGILE project, co-funded by the European Union (EU), supports independent media in countries where media freedom is under threat. The Community Journalism Training activity is a four-day, hands-on training course designed to strengthen the ability representatives of disability-led organisations and communicators to produce reliable, engaging, and rights-based multimedia content representing their communities.
A 2025 regional mapping conducted by CFI under the AGILE project (Mapping Information Environments for Marginalised Communities in Central and Eastern Africa) found that across the countries studied, including Uganda, accessible formats (sign language, braille, and audio-adapted content) remain the exception rather than the rule, leaving persons with disabilities largely excluded from mainstream information systems. This training programme responds directly to that gap, focusing on essential storytelling and multimedia skills that allow disability-led organisations to represent their own communities on their own terms.
Over four days, the programme will equip participants with practical skills in basic journalism and ethics, inclusive and rights-based storytelling, mobile journalism (video and audio using smartphones), and podcast production, with attention to accessible content formats. The sessions will also introduce simple AI-assisted tools for editing, transcription, and captioning. A peer-exchange session will foster connections between participants and support future collaboration.
Each participant will produce at least one story, short video, audio recording, or podcast draft, which they can then further develop and submit to AGILE Community Journalism Projects subgrants available after the training.
The training will be delivered in English with translation into Acholi. Accessibility provisions (including sign language interpretation, accessible materials, and venue accessibility) will be arranged based on participants’ needs, as indicated in the application form. Attendance on all four days of the training course is mandatory. Participants are selected based on clear and transparent criteria. Participants from within 30 km from the training venue are provided with transport compensation for round trips. Non-resident participants living more than 30 km outside of Gulu are provided with accommodation and travel support.
Please note that only retained candidates will be contacted.
Eligibility criteria:
To apply for this workshop, you must:
- Be based in Uganda, with a focus on Northern Uganda
- Be affiliated with a disability-led organisation, or be a person with a disability interested in journalism/communication
- Sufficient proficiency in English or Acholi
- Access to a smartphone
- Available for the full 4-day training
- Motivated to develop a story idea or community project during and after the training
- Priority given to persons with disabilities, women, rural populations, and economically disadvantaged groups with limited access to professional training
Evaluation grid
| Profile, skills and expertise
Relevance of background (disability advocacy, community engagement, media, or communication); sufficient proficiency in English or Acholi. Open to diverse pathways to ensure inclusion. |
30 |
| Experience
Previous experience (professional, academic, or community-based) related to disability inclusion, community representation, or media/communication production. Formal journalism experience not required. |
30 |
| Motivation
Reasons for applying, commitment to learning, relevance of the training to applicant’s work or community role, potential to apply skills and develop a story or project afterwards. |
40 |
| Total |
100 |
