Africa March 2023 Field Report
March 24, 2023
Barbara Shantz – Matching givers and receivers in partnership
March 28, 2023
From Serving at a Radio Station to Spreading Generosity: GTP and Radio Umucyo
I was born in the southern part of Rwanda and raised in a Christian family. I had a great childhood, growing up with my sister and five brothers. Like other children my age, I shepherded the cows and goats throughout primary school until secondary school.
My faith journey began in 2006 while I studied for our national exams. I told God, “Lord, if I pass these exams, I will serve you.” By God’s grace, I passed the exams. I was determined to follow Jesus. My life was His. I began to serve the Lord in various ways though I was not fully rooted in Him yet.
Samuel with local children while doing ministry with his church choir
In 2013, I started my university studies in journalism and communication. In my sophomore year, I interned as a presenter at a secular local radio station. While there, I prayed for the Lord to open the door for me to serve Him on a Christian radio station.
At that time, a Christian radio station called Umucyo had a daily live lunch-hour service being broadcasted from my church. I volunteered to assist them when they were short-staffed and eventually landed an internship there for six months.
Samuel with Gabrielle Fortunato and Cécile Nyirahavugimana visiting Radio Umucyo 102.8FM, the first Christian station in all of Rwanda
When my internship ended, I continued volunteering because I enjoyed serving the Lord through that ministry. Eventually, I was hired as a staff and later promoted to programs manager. During my time at Radio Umucyo, I attended a training on fundraising facilitated by Brenda Uwubuntu from Christianityworks.
Brenda became an amazing friend. She helped us to go through the book called The Sower: Redefining the Ministry of Raising Kingdom Resources by R. Scott Rodin and Gary G. Hoag. Gary and Brenda did a training on this book for Christian radio workers across Africa. That was when I first encountered GTP. Little did I know that that would open another door for me to serve the Lord.
I left the radio station in 2022 to work as a public relations and communication officer in a government institution. In September 2022, I received an email from Gary about an open position at GTP for a Multimedia Specialist. I prayed about it and made an application. After going through the hiring process and meeting the GTP team, I resigned from the government job and joined GTP.
Samuel with Gabrielle Fortunato, Cécile Nyirahavugimana, and Theodette Mukasekuru praying for Rwanda
During my first week in my new role, I welcomed Gabrielle Fortunato, GTP Regional Trainer for Africa, to Kigali where I live. Following GTP’s custom for entering a new country, we went to a high place to pray and ask God for Rwanda. We lifted special prayers in the Rwandan rain. God blessed us with a sacred time. We also committed the upcoming training to the Lord.
Gabrielle brought me a computer and supplies for starting my work and offered to facilitate a training called “Stations of Generosity” (or “Stations” for short). Cécile Nyirahavugimana, the Managing Director of Radio Umucyo, and I had spread the word inviting pastors, bishops, and ministry administrators to attend. We were not sure how many would come.
Praise God, 38 stewards participated and got trained to share it with others! We prayed the impact would not stop with this group. Months later, I am seeing that God is answering our prayers. Participants have taken what they learned and replicated it in their respective congregations. They have been sharing with me the impact it has had on their churches. Read their testimonies.
Participants of Stations of Generosity in Kigali, Rwanda in November 2022
Pastor Sadock from Calvary Independent Baptist Church said, “Through our weekly discipleship at Calvary Independent Baptist Church, we spread Stations of Generosity. Since then, when we come together, we express our gratitude to God for providing enough food for our families throughout the week. And each family brings a portion from their store, which we then share with the families in need. No one has ever stopped bringing food and 68 people have already benefited.”
Pastor Emmanuel Tuyisenge from Apostolical Revival Tabernacle said, “After learning about generosity and kindness in the Stations of Generosity training, I took time to share it. Yvonne is one of my church members who grasped the message. She then began the work of visiting patients in Kibagabaga Hospital, helping them from the little she had. She also encouraged her friends to join her ministry. It started with 4 of them. Now they are 12! They go to the hospital every Friday to visit patients, pray for them, and help them. Her testimony made me happy to know that there are many who will meet Jesus through the works of generosity and grace that came from the training we were given. We would like to thank GTP for the special opportunity bestowed upon us.”
Chris Maphosa (GTP Regional Facilitator for EPSA), Ereny Monir (GTP Vice President of Training & Empowerment), Samuel Mujyanama (GTP Multimedia Specialist), Trevor Lui (GTP COO), and Gabrielle Fortunato (GTP Regional Trainer for Africa) at the regional event in Zambia
Then, in March 2023, I attended the GTP regional event in Lusaka, Zambia attended by 38 Christian workers from 17 countries. Stations deeply impacted them. Many reported that they will replicate it in the coming weeks in Namibia, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. I love seeing the impact first-hand!
I believe God has given us the Stations training to light the candles of generosity across Africa. What excites me most about my role is that I get to use my multimedia skills to tell stories like these in social media and other communication channels. I pray that just as God used my ministry in the radio station to broadcast His message across the country, He would also use my service at GTP to spread this biblical message of generosity in my region and beyond.
