“When I wake up in the morning, I make a wish to be useful to others’, Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader, tweeted one morning. Sarah Asha Okuoro or Miss Fox (as she is fondly known within the Daystar Uni community), burns with similar wish in her heart.
Most people who have interacted with Miss Fox describe her as the bubbly, spontaneous microphone diva. But her alter-ego is cool, calm, collected, and a geek to top it up.
Miss Fox was a name conceptualised in her High school days as she explains, “….well I had a crush on “Jack”, the doctor in the series ‘Lost’. So I googled him and found out that his name was “Matthew FOX”. I added the second bit to my name and made it Asha ‘FOX’.”
Sarah has realised that the best way she can make a difference in her generation is to use a microphone. She uses it in two ways: singing in a band known as ‘Afrizzo’ and doing a radio show. The Mic diva is the presenter and producer of ‘The Conscious Redemption Show’ that airs every Wednesday from 4pm to 7pm on Daystar University’s student radio, 103.1 Shine Fm. This is a show that only plays gospel Reggae, Ragga, Riddims and Dancehall music.
The show is sponsored by The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), Family Health International (FHI360) and ICL (I Choose Life).
The show mainly encourages the youth to abstain from pre- and extra-marital sex, as well as sensitize the various forms of contraception such as condoms and pills to those who are sexually active.
Discussing sexuality issues on air is not easy at Daystar due to the University’s strong Christian values and philosophy. However, ‘Conscious Redemption’ recognizes that these issues affect the youth and therefore must be addressed as shying away does not help counter any societal challenges facing them.
“Apart from sex education, we also deal with a wide variety of issues encountered by the youth, especially from stress, education to relationships and abortion,” Sarah says. She adds, “I enjoy hosting the show so much.
I always look forward to Wednesdays because that is my time, my chance. I get to inspire someone, encourage another and help people make good life decisions while having fun simultaneously. I have also been able to understand different people’s view points and their plight through the show,” says Miss Fox.
Eric Otieno (Rixpoet), a Daystar University student who listens to Conscious Redemption from Mlolongo, is a big fan.
“CR is a great show. I like it because it tackles real stuff that I relate to.”
Ida Mumeita, who listens to the show while in campus, says, “I am not always able to listen to the show, but the times I have tuned in, I have enjoyed the music.”
Steve Wagwa, a fourth year student at the institution, adds, ‘the show really speaks to the youth since it is done in sheng-lugha ya mtaa’(Swahili slang).
The main audience is the Daystar University community, but there are also listeners from the campus’ environs such as Athi-River, Kitengela and Mlolongo.
Sarah works with a team. Marvin Jamwaka is her co-host alongside Meshak Kyathe aka ‘Dj Selector Meshbad’.
As part of publicity for the show, Sarah and her team have a Facebook page – ‘Conscious Redemption Show’. They also put up posters around campus and also use word of mouth. However, this semester they are taking things to a whole new level as they are planning to have a ‘DANCEHALL NIGHT’ at Daystar University Athi-River campus. Well, we all hope to get an invite to that as we wish them the very best!
