Community radio brings Christian message to heart of Mombasa

By the Rev Dr Francois Sieberhagen, Media Consultant, Africa Area

Sheila Maina, Director of Baraka FM. Mombasa, Kenya. Photo: UBS/Francois Sieberhagen (KEN06DJ-24.JPG)

KENYA — In the heart of Mombasa, a small yet dynamic community radio station is presenting the Christian message in sensitive, flexible and innovative ways to the city’s non-Christian majority. Baraka (which means ‘blessing’ in Kiswahili) FM 95.5 is headed by Sheila Maina. “Our mission and focus is to reach the unreached people through radio,” she explains. “We play a lot of different music, but Gospel music forms an integral part of our outreach strategy.”

The station’s day begins at 4 a.m. with an hour and a half of prayer. Presenters invite guests into the studio to pray on air, and listeners phone in prayer requests or send them by text message. Baraka then operates as a secular station, apart from playing Gospel music, until 8 p.m., when the focus switches to Christian issues for three hours.

One of the presenters is Pauline Matano. She hosts a daily magazine programme, Chombez Time (‘To Entertain’), focusing on women’s affairs. “Women participate eagerly by phone, email and text message,” she says. “They are not all Christian women, but they trust us because they know we are very sensitive and that we are serving the needs of the community. Most of these women are housewives and they do have an opinion.”

Mrs Maina has a very clear vision for the future of the station. “We would like to bring the different Churches and para-Church organisations closer together,” she explains. “We plan to continue with the co-ordinated famine relief project begun by local churches last year. We also want to develop poverty relief programs in our area. I can see that Baraka will be the catalyst to keep this initiative on track.”