A heart for Northeast Africa: Meet Dawit*

One day, we will see many, many, people praising God.

Dawit, our Northeast Africa Coordinator looks after our Nomad, A Friend in a Wilderness, Sparrow and the Ethiopia Media projects. He explains why, after more than 25 years, he’s still passionate about audio media’s power to share the gospel.

What inspired you to start your ministry, particularly using audio media?

I was working for a Christian development charity but I deeply felt that people need more than what we were giving them, that many people are living and dying without hearing about Jesus Christ.

I felt a deep burden to urgently reach as many people as possible with the gospel - I wanted a megaphone to shout in the marketplaces! Radio became my ‘megaphone’.

What are your opportunities to use audio media to share the gospel?

When I began, over 70% of our population were living in remote areas, with no access to roads and 70% could not read so the only way that they can hear God's word is when they get it in audio form. 

In our oral cultures, if people hear news, they share it with others. In some places people gather, sharing news over coffee. Where they gather around a radio there is an opportunity. If people understand the gospel, they will call their neighbours and make them listen to the message on their radio! 

For those still in remote and rural areas, the only thing they have for news and for entertainment is radio - it is a very respected and valuable medium.

Some people even lock their radios in a box at night because it is so valuable. We also use social media, plus Mp3 and SD cards which people use in their phones.  

What challenges do you face personally in your ministry?

I see all I do as ministry - family, church or work. Working out how to balance my time between these areas, and to know where to take a break can be challenging! 

Security is also a big challenge, especially when trying to visit listeners. It can be unsafe to do Christian work in our countries, for example, with the Sparrow people who live in an Islamic culture.

What do you enjoy most about your ministry?

Seeing that the messages we produce are reaching many people and lives are touched through our ministries. 

How has your role within your ministry changed over the years?

My role now is more about mentoring people. I believe that as God's people, we are interdependent. I need people and people need me because we are in the Kingdom work and we are working for our Lord Jesus Christ.

I really enjoy working with people who each have have their own culture, values and context. I train and give advice on the content and technical side and think strategically about the people still unreached in my region.

Do you have any listener stories that have inspired you to keep ministering? 

25 years ago I started my radio ministry in a studio making programmes, never seeing anyone. After two months, I was ready to give up.

Then I received a letter from a man who found my radio broadcast by accident. He didn’t care for what I had say, but because he was so happy that I spoke his language, he would continue listening.

I said, OK, if someone is listening, I would keep going! I sent him a letter and after months he replied saying he wanted to believe in Jesus Christ!

That experience always kept me in this ministry, knowing that people are listening and that God's word is touching people, somehow, someway.

Is there a specific scripture that inspires and encourages you in your work?

After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.  And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb. Revelation 7:9-10 

This really inspires me that, through our efforts using audio media, people from Sparrow, Nomad, Ethiopia Media and Friend in a Wilderness hear God’s word. And one day, when we stand before the throne of God, we will see many, many, many people singing and praising God.

Want to get involved?

With your support, Dawit and our partners around the world can continue to broadcast the hope of the gospel to their listeners.

Join us in sowing gospel seeds

*Name changed for security reasons 

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