“We Decided to Change” – Update from Malawi

Every month, Amos (pictured holding a radio in the photo), Director of FEBC Malawi, packs up his SUV to visit Yao listeners across Malawi.  

It’s August in the heart of the dry season when Amos makes his latest trip. Dust clouds the roads, and smoke from bush fires clog up the air. The roads change from paved to potholed after only a few miles, making the rest of the drive rough and bumpy.  

Life in the remote villages seems to be frozen in time. Gathering places like churches have smoothed dirt floors, tarps for seating and thatched roofs topped by aluminum. Purposeful holes in the brick walls allow air to flow for worshippers, but also allow in bugs and snakes. There is no electricity. 

At a listener gathering about a three-hour drive away from his home in Blantyre, Amos greets crowd of people who have come, and spurs them on to sing a song. 

“I love music” Amos says, “Every time I come to a village, I try to teach a new Christian song.” In Malawian villages, it seems everyone loves to sing and dance, so this catches on quickly. Soon, the group is dancing and singing the lyrics, “This is the way, Jesus is the way.” 

Malawi’s national and official languages are English and Chichewa, but hundreds of other tribal languages are more commonly spoken in remote villages. 

Outside of the larger cities, Malawi is a rural country with countless small villages. It is also one of the poorest countries in the world.  

The Yao People

The Yao people number around 3 and a half million and are scattered throughout Malawi (where most live) and Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambia. In almost every Yao village in Malawi you can find a mosque. But despite the heavy Muslim influence, many Yao listeners in Malawi embrace the Gospel.  

During the last 3 years that FEBC Malawi (Litala FM) has been on the air, listener clubs have exploded. There are now thousands of Yao listeners. 

For many Yao, FEBC Malawi’s “Litala FM”, which means “The Way”, is the only Christian content they’ve ever heard in their own language.  

Yao Listener Clubs

Almost daily, Yao listeners will call in asking Amos to visit and tell them more about the Gospel which they’ve heard so much about on the radio. Because so few people have access to their own radios in the rural areas where most Yao live, people began listening in groups.

Someone with a radio would tune in to Litala FM while others from their family or village would gather around and listen too. These gatherings eventually became known as “listener clubs.” Sometimes there is only 1 radio per village, and the average listener club is 25 people. 

One listener, named Fatima said that many in her listener club were open to the Gospel. When asked why she thought that was, she said, “Because the voice on the radio was speaking our language.” 

Pacombole, a woman in her 40s said, “I would like to thank you so much, because I used to be a Muslim—in fact everyone here were Muslims. When we heard the broadcasts we decided to change.” 

The Gospel is clearly on the move in Malawi and in other Yao communities in neighboring countries. What started small is now estimated at 20,000 Yao listeners. 

Below are more photos from Amos’ August trip to visit Yao listener clubs