Kampala | Community reporters from 14 radio stations across Uganda gathered in Kampala for a five-day leadership training programme aimed at strengthening their ability to advocate for community challenges and drive positive change at the grassroots level.
The training, organized by DW Akademie under the Amplifying Voices project and funded by the European Union, took place at Forest Cottages in Kampala.
The training brought together community reporters who have demonstrated a strong commitment to addressing issues affecting their communities through journalism and civic engagement.
Speaking during the training, Jonathan Tusubwera, who works with DW Akademie under the Amplifying Voices project, said the initiative was designed to equip community reporters with leadership and advocacy skills that will help them create meaningful impact in their respective areas.
“The purpose for the community reporter’s leadership program was intended to support those community reporters who are advocates in their communities,” he emphasised.
Some of them, he said, are passionate about issues happening in their villages and they would like to do something about these issues. “They have the passion and the interest.”
“The training is going to support them in implementing ideas back in their communities as DW Academy we will support them with small grants,” he said last week.
Tusubwera further revealed that the training is not only focused on building leadership capacity, but also providing practical support to ensure participants can turn their ideas into action.
“So, every community reporter who completes the 5-day leadership training, will be eligible to receive a seed grant of €200 that will enable them to go back to their community and implement the idea that they’ve pitched to us.”
The seed grants are expected to support community-driven initiatives addressing various local challenges, including accountability, governance, health, education, environmental protection, and social development.
For many participants, the training presented a unique opportunity to strengthen their advocacy efforts and engage leaders more effectively on issues affecting their communities.
Anaru Annet, a community reporter from Etoop Radio Station in Soroti district, expressed optimism about the impact the training will have on her work.
“After this training, I’m positive that I will be able to have some change. How? These leaders who do not want to account, we are going to ensure that if we’ve spoken to the LC5 and there is no positive response, we move to the next person who is supposed to supervise. That is the CAO.”
Her remarks highlight the growing determination among community reporters to promote transparency and accountability by ensuring that community concerns are addressed by the relevant authorities.
Another participant, Ssebuwufu Matia, said the training had opened his eyes to the importance of identifying and addressing local problems that often go unnoticed.
“We as community reporters, many times there’re issues in our places where we are coming from. But we have been giving them little time. But today, they have managed to train us that we can sit and discover a problem within our area.
“And I thank God first because I managed to pass through. Many applied but failed to pass through.”
Through practical sessions, community reporters were guided on how to identify pressing local challenges, engage stakeholders, mobilise communities, and design sustainable solutions.
By combining leadership training with financial support through seed grants, DW Akademie aims to ensure that the knowledge gained during the programme translates into tangible action and measurable impact within communities.
With each participant set to receive a €200 seed grant, the programme is laying the foundation for locally driven solutions that will amplify community voices and turn ideas into action across Uganda.
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