MALAWI: Founding Director of Radio Alinafe, Fr. Gabriel Jana Passes On
The Catholic Church in Malawi mourns the death of Rev Fr. Gabriel Jana, the founding director of the first Catholic community radio, Radio Alinafe, in Malawi, which is also among the first of its kind in the AMECEA Region.
Father Jana died on Wednesday, March 20 at Mwaiwathu Hospital in Blantyre after a long battle with kidney problem. He is credited for his work as founding director of the station which came about as one way implementing the resolutions of the 1995 Africa Synod where the Church was challenged to embark on using the radio ad means of social communications for evangelization.
Licenced by the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) as a “Religious radio station for community of interest” in 1998, Radio Alinafe started broadcasting on 14th March 2002. Today, it covers the entire Archdiocese of Lilongwe while its signal spills over to the bordering Dioceses of Dedza and Mzuzu.
The late Father Jana envisioned that the radio should be an effective instrument of establishing communities that will witness and bring about justice, peace, love and unity in the light of the Word of God. His vision and dream materialized as Radio Alinafe indeed benefits people by facilitating dialogue, communication and awareness raising on different issues and activities affecting the Catholic community in the parishes.
Through its programing, the radio has been instrumental to the development of the people through educational programs on health, agriculture and good governance, as well as in the pastoral areas such as Evangelization, Catechism and liturgy. During his time as director, Radio Alinafe took holistic approach so that it promotes the integral development of the human being.
Born on 4th June, 1965, the late Fr Gabriel Jana hailed from Ngolowindo village in Salima District. His education history includes primary school at Lilongwe Boys’ and Mlale preparatory Seminary; secondary education at St. Kizito Major Seminary; philosophical studies at Kachebere Major Seminary and theological at St. Peter’s Major Seminary.
He was ordained on 7th August, 1993 and served in various parishes before he was sent for specialization studies in Communications at the Gregorian University in Rome, 1991, where he majored on radio production at Gregorian University in 2001.
Fr. Jana has also served in the Archdiocese of Lilongwe as Communications Secretary and Archdiocesan Overseer of Events and until his departure.
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By: ECM’s Stella Zulu
