Since 2022, one of our strongest and most impactful partners has been Shoaib Ebadi, who, among other roles, leads Afghanistan Next Generation. Through ANG, we have translated and published books in both Dari and Pashto.

Within months of completing those projects, we were able to go online with translations of our A Simple Word website in both languages. Through  www.asimpleworddari.org and  www.asimplewordpashto.org, hundreds of Afghans, most in the Afghan Diaspora, have been able to access content that helps them read the Bible. And helps them understand what they read.

The goal of our most recent collaboration is to use social media to enhance the impact of the Dari materials that appear on our two Afghan-focused websites.

Shaoib has already (with the help of colleagues in India) established social media pages for both websites. With the help of Afghanistan Next Generation, we already have a presence on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. The new initiative would create 3-5 minute video clips and audio clips of 1–2 minutes based either directly on the website content or in keeping with it.

Shoaib himself will write the scripts and record the audio pieces. One of the longer-term goals is to record audiobook versions of the books that are available on the sites.

Why audio and video? While Afghan literacy rates have increased significantly since 2000, most Afghans are categorized by missiologists as Oral-Preference Leaners. It is conservatively estimated that 5 in 8 people in the world live in Oral Preference Cultures. Afghanistan is one of those cultures. Some missiologists estimate that the number is closer to 80%.

Until recently, we thought that creating the video material would be a challenge. However, in recent months, an Afghan couple was able to leave Pakistan and immigrate to Canada. Michael and Sarah are both fluent Dari speakers who have experience in video production, script writing, and translation. They have already begun to create a set of graphically attractive videos based on the content of the material found at www.asimpleworddari.org. And, as a result of their fluency in Dari, they will be able to follow up, responding to all of the comments and questions that we receive through all of the social media platforms.

In discussion with Shoaib, our goal is to produce 40 scripts, 40 videos, and 40 audio messages, all of which will be written, produced, and posted on the Dari social media platforms. We estimate that the total cost of creating, producing, and posting this material will be $20,000 over the next 8 months. Clear & Simple Media will commit one-third of that amount from our available resources, but in order to complete the project, WE WILL NEED HELP.

What we are proposing is this. All funds received by us until the end of 2025, directly designated for the Afghan Media Project, will be allocated to that project without any administrative or processing fees.

If you live in Canada, send designated funds to Clear & Simple Media HERE. Select Clear & Simple Media/Tom and Lee Castor from the charity option menu. Then, make sure to include a note in the “Send a message to this charity”box that says Afghan Media Project.

If you live in the United States, select the link HERE. If you are designating funds to this project, indicate that by writing Afghan Media Project under the MEMO box at the bottom of that page.

As we reported in the news item from August 9, we are already receiving indications that the project will reach Afghans with the Gospel, both those in Afghanistan and those in various countries in the world who are part of the Afghan Diaspora.