Sinengela - Keyboard Song during Media Disability Inclusive Reporting Conference
Sinengela - a True Radio Producer, Musician at Heart
PROFILE
By Risco Lumamezi
FRANS Akayombokwa Sinengela who hails from Zambezi region, He was born blind at Schuckmansberg some 80 kilometres away the town of Katima Mulilo on 27 January 1985, His father is Mr. Godfrey Kasalaza Sinengela, a former teacher who has since passed on in 2018. His mother is Ms. Pumulo Sitali.
He is the first-born from his mother side in the family of 6, and the third (3RD ) born from his father in the family of 11 siblings.
His personal conviction to learn started burning at heart in 1991, but unfortunately, He could not get admission to any school in Caprivi at the time due to unavailability of schools for blind.
Sinengela was lucky and he started his school late in May 1996, at the age of 11 after the school for visually impaired was established in 1995 at Eluwa Special School in northern Namibia in Omusati Region, where he did his Grade 1 - 10.
After completing his junior secondary school at Eluwa in Ongwendiva by then, He was transferred to Gabriel Taapopi Senior Secondary School where he did his Grade 11 and 12.
While studying at Eluwa he started playing some musical instruments such as the flute and piano “after completing my Senior School they were a lot of circumstances which prevented me not to go for my further studies… then I became self-employed relaying in music as a tool”
He got a position in a certain church in the north as a music director and composer.
He said, he was inspired by the musical vocals of a blind South African musician called Steve Kekane, then he started playing a keyboard at Eluwa.
“I have released a couple of musical albums, which are mostly played on Ñywañi FM airwaves in Katima Mulilo”
He said he is doing music for passion not for competition, though he doesn’t have a manager who can manage and market his music.
Besides from music, Sinengela He is a role model who is contributing to nation building of Namibia, he is currently working for a private Radio Station called Eagle FM as a producer, who produces his own content and presenting the programs called Take Ego and the Realm of historic between 10 AM and 12pm on Monday to Friday, Saturdays and Sundays between 9 and 1 pm.
Asked to share his challenges and experience at work, if they are any form of discrimination, He said that “Here there’s no problem I can use computers just like any other person, it is just a matter of me doing research and presenting facts, quality programs and something factual and more relevant to the listeners"
He refuted that there are no abusive words of discrimination
“No! , I am working with a very professional team, and a very dynamic team, they have never shown me any attitude not even from any one, not even from the boss, these people they don’t even consider me as a blind person anymore, we have come to that level of doing our work and where everybody just goes home”
He said as a blind person, he is computer literate and he uses sophisticated apps that navigates the computer.
Mr. Frans Sinengela is married to a beautiful wife, an Oshiwambo sweetheart since 2012, both of them they have two daughters, one is 6 and another is 8 years old.
His favourite dish is a Caprivian traditional food called Chihonyo ce Soto, (mixed soup waterlily) and he is addicted to a Coca cola (Coke).
He further cautioned young people to stop consuming alcohol “they must refrain from abusing alcohol, they must focus on whatever is good for their future… they must aspire it doesn’t matter on what condition they find themselves, they must live a positive life”
In September this year during Media Disability Inclusive Reporting Workshop for journalists in Namibia, which was organised by the United Nations Development Program in Namibia, Mr.Sinengela was the Director of Ceremony and He entertained the participants with his vocal songs played on His piano.
16 ноя 2021
