AfriCom is Africa's field communication team.  Located near Cape Town, South Africa, the small but effective team supports YWAM Africa through publications, photography and video.  They are also starting to run UofN communication courses, holding a Frontier Journalism School January through March, 2009.

 

Check out their blog at http://commsteamafrica.blogspot.com/

 

YWAM AfriCom

Director: Miranda Heathcote

PO Box 330
Muizenberg 7950
SOUTH AFRICA

Phone: 27-21-7887345
Phone: 27-72-2968337
Fax:     27-21-788124

Building a communication team for YWAM Africa is a big task. A few years ago a group of three began this daunting job. Our mandate was fairly clear: to serve the leaders, champion YWAM’s work and help build a sense of connectedness in the continent. I remember well the words of John Kisamwa, our Field Director at the time: “There are too many negative stereotypes of Africa, tell some of the amazing stories God is doing through us - champion YWAM Africa!”

Telling God’s stories is always an awesome privilege: ‘Say among the nations the Lord reigns!’ As we’ve done this we’ve seen isolation broken, finances released, prayer increased and workers recruited. Just one example: Mozambique is full of modern day missionary heroes and six years ago we accompanied a YWAM team on an outreach into a remote and unreached part of the Zambezi delta. Hundreds of people were living three days canoe travel from the nearest schools, health care or shops. With the help of the skills at Media Village we produced a video, Against the Tide, promoting this ministry.

This film has now been widely seen. Many short-term outreaches have visited to help the YWAM team there. A couple have started the first school in the delta. Doctors have visited to offer treatment to people, sometimes for the first time in their lives. A helicopter ministry has flown people in and out to serve. Lives have been touched, people saved and the church built. An incredible story of a community being transformed!

This has nothing to do with us. We simply serve by telling the story of what God is doing though our friends and colleagues. But good communications invites response, and as we tell these stories other people hear and are inspired to join in. Communicating breaks isolation, freeing people to concentrate on what God has called them to do. It also shares out the blessing, giving others the opportunity to join in.

 

Tim Heathcote (YWAM AfriCom)