Blog

Telesphore Kaberuka, Rwanda |

Telesphore Kaberuka has over 15 years of experience in multimedia reporting, investigative journalism, and editorial leadership. A bachelor’s degree holder in Journalism and Communication from Institut Catholique de Kabgayi, he serves as Editor-in- Chief at Family Magazine, heza.rw and Renaissance Info, where he mentors young

reporters and leads impactful storytelling. Fluent in Kinyarwanda, English, French and Kiswahili, Kaberuka has contributed extensively to numerous radio, online and print platforms across the region. His investigative work spans climate change, health, corruption, judicial transparency, and environmental hazards, earning him multiple journalism grants, including from Pax Press, the Rwanda Environment Management Authority, the Legal Aid Forum, and the Thomson Foundation. He is also a freelance contributor for different media outlets. Through the CIPESA fellowship, Kaberuka aims to get skills to explore and amplify stories on equitable access to Digital Public Infrastructure in Rwanda and the region.

John Tor Madira Machier is the Editor-in-Chief of Sudans Post, an independent digital-only news outlet covering the Sudans (Sudan and South Sudan) in English and Arabic. He has over eight years of experience in conflict reporting, political affairs, and investigative journalism. John also contributes to Sudan War Monitor, where he specializes in open-source conflict verification and military analysis. He has reported extensively on digital governance, media freedom, and displacement in the region. A graduate of Cairo University’s Faculty of Mass Communication, he is fluent in English, Arabic, and Nuer. As a Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Journalism Fellow, John is focused on documenting the digital divide, mobile money access, and state-citizen digital interactions in South Sudan.

Ian Katusiime, Uganda |

Ian Katusiime is a Senior Reporter at The Independent covering politics, technology, security, health and international affairs. He is interested in the intersection between emerging technologies and governance. Ian was crowned the best political reporter at the 2025 Uganda National Journalism Awards organised by the African Centre for Media Excellence (ACME). In 2024, he took part in a DW Fellowship on Digital Threats for an investigation on how female activists in Uganda counter online harassment. He has written a paper on Uganda’s foreign policy titled Foreign Policy by Troop Deployment and a follow-up paper on the troop drawdown

in the African peacekeeping mission in Somalia. Ian has contributed to a book on the global arms trade titled Monstrous Anger of the Guns. In 2022, he took part in a Youth for Policy Migration Fellowship organised by Konrad Adenauer Stiftung.

Mercy Chelangat is a multi-award-winning journalist and fact-checker. She has five years of experience across print, digital, and broadcast media. Mercy has a proven ability to produce exclusive and impactful stories, particularly in the areas of health, climate, and governance. She possesses specialised skills in open-source investigations, climate fact-checking, and investigating disinformation and malign influence operations. Her achievements include winning in governance reporting at the Annual Journalism Excellence Awards in 2024 and being a two-time runner-up in Health Reporting. She is currently pursuing a Master’s in Mass Communication at Liverpool John Moores University.

Jenifer Gilla is an experienced environmental journalist known for her in-depth reporting on climate change, biodiversity, water scarcity, and sustainable development. She has a Post Graduate Diploma in Mass Communication and is currently pursuing Msc in Climate Change and Sustainable Development at University of Dar es Salaam. With notable bylines in The Guardian Tanzania, she has investigated gender equity in media, critiquing newsroom biases and advocating for greater inclusion of women efforts that reflect her commitment to amplifying underrepresented perspectives in Tanzanian journalism. Further, Jenifer has  covered major events like the UN LDC’s Summit in Doha, COP 27 and 28, and the 8th Session of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development. She has  pursued grants to enhance her impact, including from The Earth Journalism Network (EJN) grant and  from DW Academy.