By Geoffrey Otieno
“ Neno program made me to accept myself and know that despite being blind, God loves me and He can still use me… It has made me grow deeper in the Word because it covers the Bible chapters missing or are yet to be translated into braille Bible.”
As the world commemorates the 2024 World Radio Day to honor the most amazing invention in the world which has touched many lives by playing vital roles in our lives over a century now. Thus the theme A Century Informing, Entertaining and Educating. Highlighting on the history of radio and its powerful impact on news, drama, music, and sports. Here at Trans World Radio Kenya, we chose to celebrate this day by celebrating the impactful role that radio has played in the lives of our listeners especially those who are physically disadvantaged making them to have Radio as their only source of the Gospel.
On this day, and on behalf of all our listeners living with disabilities, we chose to honor this day by sharing the testimony of Pastor Jacob Kabasea one of our listeners from Loliondo in Tanzania who is living with blindness.
Pastor Jacob’s connection with Trans World Radio Kenya begun more than twenty-five years ago when he used to listen to our Program Neno Litaendelea a walk Thru The Bible (TTB) radio series that takes the listeners on a Bible journey starting from Genesis to Revelation. It used to air on the National Broadcaster (Radio KBC) and on TWR Africa Shortwave broadcasts. Being a blind man who loved the gospel and coming from a remote village in Tanzania, Pastor had very limited options when it came to studying the Word of God. So, every evening at 2000hrs he tuned to his radio for the Shortwave Broadcasts and every day at 10:00 am. on Radio KBC. Radio is his main source of receiving God’s word.
Years later he joined a Bible college and he was introduced to the braille Bible, and after sometime he realized that his understanding of the scriptures was on a higher level, he knew that this foundation was a result of the many years of listening to Thru The Bible radio series. Here is what he had to share…..
‘Before Neno I used to listen to other Devotional programs from Kenya thru Radio KBC, but the day I tuned to Neno Litaendelea by Pastor Geoffrey Wanjala Munialo, I felt that I had finally got what I had missing because I realized that this was the true Bible teaching program that presented to me the gospel in the most clear way. Slowly by slowly I started to grow in the word to a point that I started preaching.
Later on I realized that I was not the only one who had fallen in love with the program because whenever I moved around, I would find people listening with some even stopping what they were doing so that they don’t miss the program. I remember when I was in Bible college during the morning break, we would all move close to the institution’s Radio so that we would tune in to the program. It is like Neno became part of our classes.
This is the program that made me to accept myself even when others looked down upon me and doubted if I could preach. Pastor made me understand & be encouraged that God has blessed each and every one of us is a unique despite the physical challenges that we may be facing. He made me realize that am loved by God even in my uniqueness as compared to others.
Trans World Radio have not diluted the gospel like others. For example, I remember there is a time a met my former college-mate, she shared how she met a Pastor who told her that if she wanted to be healed from blindness so that she can preach she needs to join his church, when she went there the Pastor put salt in her eyes but these instead made her condition worse. When she told me this, I reminded her the days we used to listen to Neno in School if she ever heard Pastor say that we put salt in our eyes for us to see. We came to realize that this are the doctrines and the kind of Pastors that the bible warned us about through the Radio program.
Neno program made me to accept myself and know that despite being blind, God loves me and He can still use me for his work. It has made me grow deeper in the Word because it covered the Bible chapters missing or are yet to be translated into braille Bible . After interacting with others who are living with blindness, I sometimes I feel like God created this ministry of Trans World Radio specifically for people like us because it is a challenge to get a complete Braille bible, mostly we have the bible books. You may not realize the magnitude of your impact to so many lives but I assure you it very big and that is why I decided to embark on this long road trip from Tanzania to Kenya not to come and give you anything in return but to personally Thank You to the people who have blessed my life over the years.” He added.
Pastor Jacob represents many of our listeners whom to them Radio is their companion, Bible & Church and we don’t take that for granted. As Radio marks century in informing, entertaining and educating, at Trans World Radio Kenya we celebrate Radio as an evangelism tool that has enabled us to speak hope to the unreached in Kenya and the world now for over forty-seven years.
According to World Health Organization 2023 statistics, globally, at least 2.2 billion people have a near or distance vision impairment. The prevalence of distance vision impairment in low- and middle-income regions is estimated to be 4 times higher than in high-income regions. If unaddressed near vision impairment are estimated to be greater than 80% in Western, Eastern and Central sub-Saharan Africa. If these statistics are anything to go by, then it means there will be a greater demand for braille use and considering the challenges that come with learning braille especially in adults, an alternative need to be put in place so that the Gospel of Christ can be spread to all. We thank God for braille bible translators who are trying all they can to have Braille Bibles accessible to the thousands of people living with blindness or visual impairment. On the other hand the use of Radio/ Audio recordings is still a valid support option for braille users without hearing impairment.
On this day, join us as we celebrate the contribution that radio has made towards spreading the Gospel of Christ. Happy World Radio Day.
You can now listen to Neno Litaendelea by Pastor Geoffrey Wanjala Munialo and sister Pamela Omwodo every Monday to Friday on our FM network Sifa FM in Lamu, Voi, Marsabit, & Kakuma, Radio Maata in Lodwar, and Hekima FM in Garissa Wajir and Mandera
