Ebenezer Community Empowerment has created a platform where relevant information can be exchanged and ideas discussed among the community members or any interested parties. The media platform includes international, national, and local news, which reports on cultural events, public issues, and stories that reflect the American spirit and values. This information will help facilitate assimilation into American society by better understanding the diverse racial, ethnic, religious, and cultural heritage that is the essence of American society.
Our purpose is to bridge the gap in communication and offer a forum for sharing ideas, hopes, dreams, and concerns. To accomplish this, we provide a marketplace of ideas where our community makes the ultimate judgment on the merits of ideas presented. We serve as a forum for diverse views among the communities. Apart from providing information about current events, our radio programs advance the development of the community’s sense of social responsibility about social issues and provide a way through which a sense of responsibility can be translated into action. In addition, through our daily and weekly programs, we encourage the community to be able to interact with one another, to work as volunteers, and to become members of different initiatives in the community and share freely their knowledge, experience, skills, and their time to make their community a better place to live as well as to play an active role in local issues, events and activities.
Radio/TV programs
Ebenezer Community Empowerment believes that disseminating relevant information is vital to the immigrant community to integrate with the host country. Having access to the relevant information is not only helping the immigrant to integrate but also to be an active participant and productive. With this in mind, we have daily and weekly radio and YouTube and Zoom T.V. programs on different subjects and topics about the community’s welfare. Here is the synopsis of each day’s program
On our weekly Sunday’s T.V./Radio Program, we cover the Community Organizations and Centers and their activities and reports. These Community Organizations serve the immigrant community here in the USA and have lots of information that needs to be disseminated to the community. For those Community Centers and Organizations located in the U.S., we also provide a platform on our weekly T.V. and Radio program to discuss with the public. It has been beneficial for both the Organizations and the community in many aspects. In this weekly program for 2020, we have invited and discussed with eleven Community Organizations. The Organizations who used our platform to reach out to the community have been thankful for us and wrote an appreciation. The community members also were delighted to have this kind of discussion.
Monday – ‘Let’s Introduce you with the Successful Individuals’ is the main title of the program. In this program, we have an individual who is an excellent example of hard-working and success in their work and life. We tell personal success stories through this program and show how the immigrant community is part of the American dream. It has been eye-opening for many community members, and it encourages them to work hard and dream big.
Tuesday – Arts and Crafts– This was mainly an art program, including poetry, paintings, crafts, etc. We usually have open mic participation in which the audience can read their poetry or present their artworks. The program attracts many and creates an atmosphere where all come together to see universal human values and enjoy being together. In a way, it also encourages the immigrant community to document and write their experiences to the next generation.
Wednesday – Business and life – The lack of information is one of the main reasons to miss opportunities, conflict, and mistrust. This weekly program covers starting a business and developing an entrepreneurial spirit. Many of our community members have benefited from this weekly program in getting the correct information about how and when to start the business. Life in the U.S. as an immigrant would be better if one is equipped with the knowledge and awareness of the correct information. In this program, we usually invite business personalities and experts in the field, and they explain the environment, how to start the business, and the requirements. In partnering with the micro-lenders, we urge our listeners to test their dreams.
Thursday – The ‘Our thinking and us’ program roughly translated from Amharic. It delves into immigrant life’s psychological and sociological aspects and examines our way of thinking as an immigrant. We invite a scholar in psychology and sociology to open discussion about those issues.
Friday – Marriage and relationship – In this weekly program, we have an on-air discussion with the listeners and discuss the issue of marriage and relationships. We also host different talks on family and relationship issues.
Saturday – Being African and integrating into the host country. In this program, we have entertained the cultural bond as Africans and show how to respect and maintain our identity while contributing to the adopted country.