‘Be a blessing to Trans World Radio’
Trans World Radio (TWR) has been a blessing to millions of people in Malawi and beyond by disseminating the gospel and the message of hope in a world choked by misery and sin. Now, through the Bless TWR initiative, the radio is seeking its own blessings to keep it going. TWR Malawi executive director Victor Kaonga discusses the project with JACOB JIMU.
What is this initiative all about?
This is an opportunity for listeners, friends and partners to bless Trans World Radio (TWR) Malawi in a special way through their resources, especially finances. Since 1985 when Trans World Radio Malawi started operating, most of its funding came from the USA and Europe and that support started dropping some years ago, leading to a situation that challenged us to operate with no financial support from outside Malawi in 2012.
When did you conceive the idea of the project and when did you launch it?
This was conceived at the beginning of 2012 and we had Bless TWR Initiative in May same year. It operates on Biblical and historical evidence where God’s work is supported by God’s people. The Levites were supported by the believers. Churches count on their members. TWR is non-denominational. TWR believes that it has been a blessing to many who can sustain it to let it keep blessing many others. TWR is localised and needs support of people that benefit from it.
What has been the response since you launched the project?
We have been very humbled by God and how he is working in people’s lives. We sense many more are praying for TWR. There are people who are giving money; some have given items such as maize and clothes. Maybe something equally highlighting is a gift of a Toyota Land Cruiser that a couple in Lilongwe has made to TWR. We have some people who have pledged to support financially, to sponsor programmes and advertise with us. Churches have been very helpful in opening the churches to let us speak about TWR.
What are its highlights so far?
People near and far away from Lilongwe have visited us to share a testimony of how their lives have changed through TWR broadcasts. A few days ago, a lady in Likuni [Lilongwe] invited us to go and collect clothes that she and her family had put together as a gift. She said they had nothing to give but clothes that TWR could sell and use the money. A team of listeners in rural Lilongwe have invited us to go there with a truck to collect maize. Much more, yes, is coming.
How can people participate?
Participation is on-going through praying for TWR, listening to the station (the choice of programmes is wide 24 hours in English, Chichewa, Chitumbuka and Chiyao), advertising, giving resources, etc.
Beyond raising resources for the radio, what else do you want to achieve through the project?
Ideally, the money to be raised is going towards ensuring that people continue hearing their favourite radio programmes such as Nkhomaliro Ya Mau, Friday Night Live and Kumanga Banja.
Nkhomaliro Ya Mau
is a daily preaching and teaching programme which has helped hundreds and hundreds of Malawians. FridayNight Live offers a special live prayer time when people are ministered too in prayer and counselling. Kumanga Banja is self-explanatory: It helps build marriages. We have many testimonies of how marriages have been restored, built up and inspired to move on to God’s glory. No one would want such programmes to be off air just because TWR is unable to maintain the transmitter or meet daily operational costs.
When do you expect the project to phase out?
The emphasis to bless TWR is running in the month of May, but we know that we have just planted the seed as some people need time to bless TWR. In that case, they are free to bless TWR when they are able to as soon as they can. Of course, this is something board approved be done yearly in May.
Last year, people continued to specially bless TWR into July. And almost all the 2.4 million kwacha (about $6 000) that we raised last year through this went towards renewing of the TWR broadcast licence and paying MTL for the transmitter sites we use. Now, we have a valid license from Macra that will expire in November 2019! Many thanks to those who gave to TWR!
What is your final message to people reading this interview?
Radio is expensive business but with listener-centred programming that we do, we can keep their favourite programmes on air. It costs TWR about K10 000 (about $25) each hour for people to hear us. Though we raise some money through sponsored programming and advertising, we are not able to meet all costs towards transmission, production of programmes, personnel, subscriptions, broadcast frequency and fees (to Macra), transport, administration, follow-up, etc. It is TWR Malawi’s desire to increase local support to the radio ministry as we believe it is people in Malawi that are the first beneficiaries of the radio ministry. Can we count on you?
