Africa has six countries in the top 10 of the world’s fastest growing economies as of first quarter of 2012—not fastest largest growing economy (BBC, 2012). The region has all the good and not so good names that the world can think of and yet there is still a lot to do to help alleviate pain, hunger, disease and suffering in the region. Children (ages 0-12 years) die in Africa from dis­eases that otherwise should not have killed them.

TWR’s programmes focus on the spiritual, physical and psycho-social development, thus providing a holistic approach to health. These programmes include: Healthy Life Series and Community Empowerment.

Dr Luke is a 15 minute, 52 episodes of healthy life series radio program addressing non-communicable diseases peculiar among people of all ages, especially young and older adults. The programme focuses on diseases that affect the internal organs of the body; and draws on some external issues that contribute to some of the illnesses; such as sanitation; personal hygiene; and nutrition.

Community Empowerment: TWR understands that the health needs of human beings must be addressed holistically within a community context in order to ensure a healthy community. The community empowerment programmes include life-skills and awareness on diseases of great concern such as malaria, tuberculosis, yellow fever, and public health concerns such as poor sanitation and cholera. The strategy also includes tackling issues such as food security through farming up-skilling, and challenge beliefs and practices that hinder healthy living and growth.

Foundations for Farming (FfF): Foundations for farming (FfF ) uses conservation farming teaching material to educate farmers in mostly rural farming communities to preserve the land by not using methods such as burning or deep soil inversion. TWR has partnered with Foundations for Farming ministry to develop 27 episodes of 15 minutes radio programmes in English, French, Kirundi, Lomwe, Portuguese and Swahili.

Healthy Life radio series is a magazine type programme at varying lengths (5, 15 & 30 minutes) that addresses various health issues across life span: children (0-12 years); Teens or young adults (12-20 years); women (20-45 years); men (20-45 years); and adults from middle to late adulthood (45 years till death). The purpose of these categories is to ensure that specific diseases that are peculiar to a particular age group are addressed.