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Catholic Radio in Malawi Receives Boost to Reach Out to “faithful from more remote areas”

Credit: ACN

Staff at Tuntufye FM, a Catholic radio station of the Malawi’s Diocese of Karonga have received transport means to facilitate their access to remote Parishes of the Catholic Diocese in their sourcing of information from the people of God.

In a Thursday, July 7 report, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) Germany announced that it had made the donation, noting that staff at the radio station had previously found it challenging to reach all the Parishes of the Diocese owing to lack of proper means of transport and rough terrain.

The Catholic charity has reported that it had received the radio’s request for a vehicle that could cope with the local road conditions. 

“After all, the broadcasts should be able to be transmitted not only from the seat of the station itself, but from the entire diocese,” ACN Germany has reported.

“Due to the distances involved and the fact that roads are often difficult to pass, especially in the rainy season, contributions could only be broadcast from nearby parishes,” ACN Germany has reported in reference to Tuntufye FM radio station.

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The Catholic charity adds, “Since the goal of the station is to include the entire diocese, it was frustrating in the long run for the faithful from the more remote areas that there were never any contributions from their parishes.”

In the July 7 report, ACN notes that while pastoral agents in Africa long to reach out to all people, access to some areas is hindered by the challenge of poor roads.

“In many places in Africa, the Church faces the challenge that long distances and poor road conditions make pastoral care difficult. At the same time, however, the faithful have a great longing for God and the Good News. This is also the case in the diocese of Karonga in northern Malawi,” ACN Germany reports.

According to the Catholic Foundation, Tuntufye FM radio station “is an important tool to reach the faithful even in the remote villages on a daily basis.”

“Evangelization is the station's most important goal. At the same time, however, it also provides development aid through practical advice and information,” the charity entity says.

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ACN Germany further reports that its benefactors donated 28,114 Euros to enable the purchase of an all-terrain vehicle for the radio station, and explains, “Not only the staff of the station, but especially the listeners are happy, because now the program is more diverse and of higher quality.”

Innocent Nazombe, who manages the Catholic radio, expressed his gratitude to the Catholic Pontifical and charity foundation, saying, “The car has given a great boost to the radio's work and has reduced our difficulties with mobility that hindered the radio's activities.”

Agnes Aineah is a Kenyan journalist with a background in digital and newspaper reporting. She holds a Master of Arts in Digital Journalism from the Aga Khan University, Graduate School of Media and Communications and a Bachelor's Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communications from Kenya's Moi University. Agnes currently serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.