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

Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) Germany made the donation, noting that staff at the radio station had previously found it challenging to reach the entire diocese owing to lack of proper means of transport and rough terrain.

The Catholic charity received the radio station’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. Due to the distances involved and the poor state of the roads, especially in the rainy season, contributions could only be broadcast from nearby parishes,” ACN Germany reported in reference to Tuntufye FM radio station.

“Since the goal of the station is to include the entire diocese, it was frustrating for the faithful from the more remote areas that there were never any contributions from their parishes” added the Catholic charity’s representative. “In many places in Africa, the Church faces these challenges of long distances and road conditions which make pastoral care difficult. However, the faithful have a great longing for God and the Good News. This is the case in the diocese of Karonga in northern Malawi,” ACN Germany reports.

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. It also provides development aid through practical advice and information,” the charity spokesperson says. “Not only the staff at the station, but especially the listeners are happy, because now the programme is more diverse and of a higher quality.” Innocent Nazombe, who manages the Catholic radio station said that “The car has given a great boost to the radio’s work and has reduced our difficulties with mobility that hindered the radio station’s activities.”