In this article we explicate our way of assessing the South African Kha Ri Gude Mass Literacy Campaign, and in particular its impact in the Eastern Cape. We provide an account primarily of focus group sessions conducted in 2013 and again in 2014 with volunteer educators and past learners in the campaign. We concentrate on the way in which relationships with these participants and with coordinators in the province were established towards the creation of findings. We outline how our evaluative purpose could be seen as incorporating a social justice agenda (as in developmental evaluation) in that it was aimed at strengthening literacy initiatives as a human right. We conclude with some considerations around catalytic validity as a criterion for judging research practices. We reflect upon how this notion of validity can justify our research as being directed towards potentially activating further options for literacy initiatives to contribute to personal and community development.