“We are training local people in radio programming, so that the people from the community can own what is being said,” says Hazeen, Feba Pakistan staff member. Hazeen continues to work with a partner near Peshawar to produce disaster relief programming (mostly health awareness) called New Dawn in three 10-minute segments per week, initially for 13 weeks broadcast on the local FM station.

Hazeen recently travelled out to see the New Dawn team to provide them additional training on sound editing, managing the recordings as well as set up an internet device and create a special email box to receive messages from listeners. “I have trained one of the women who does the editing,” says Hazeen. “She was so excited to use the internet and access listener emails. She said the flood had opened new opportunities for them to learn and deliver.”

“Listeners called appreciating what the New Dawn team is doing. Some were astonished to hear that Christians are doing this for us [the community],” says Hazeen.

A doctor interviewed for the programme was very pleased with quality of the programme and encouraged them to keep on doing such good work.

Something to talk about

Working on these brief segments in Pashto to air on the local is station is making a difference in the community already, bringing people together to discuss issues that they are concerned about.

For example, recently the FM station called the church pastor to get a comment on the Koran burning issue—previously (before the special flood programming) they would not have known the pastor or church to call them.

After the pastor’s comments went on air, condemning the Koran burning, many called asking the pastor, “Is it true, that this is not the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ?” Callers appreciated this honest open conversation and said this was a new thing for them.

”I personally believe that this is what radio is meant for,” says Hazeen. “People are listening to the programmes using the recently distributed radio sets. SMS text messages are coming in after each segment gets aired. Almost all say this is new and we like your programme.”

Covering many communities on short wave

This past week Hazeen travelled to Faisalabad to conduct disaster response training for other Feba staff and partners, those who produce Along with Life (Zindagi kay Sung) in Urdu and other programmes in Sindhi and Siraiki. Hazeen says: “The training was good although it was in a rush. I took one session of interviewing in disaster, along with machine operation and use of the microphone with an assignment [talking to people outside on the street].” The participants should be able to use these new tips as they develop flood rehabilitation programming and respond to disasters in the future.

Thanks for joining us in this long journey of community transformation that lies ahead. Through its community programming and flood rehabilitation segments, Feba’s ministry is already giving life-changing hope, helping communities in Pakistan to get back on their feet. Make a donation today!

Read more in the October edition of the HOPE, Feba’s bi-monthly newsletter, keeping you up-to-date with our ministry to the hard-to-reach and including listeners’ stories filled with the joy and pain of living in hard places. Have you received a copy? If not please request one today (UK and ROI only).

You can also download a PDF version of the Prayer Diary.