With one more sleep before the start of Ramadan 1439, its all systems go for VOC’s annual Ramadan programme line mash-up which commences after Maghrib on Wednesday night. Cape Town’s shuyookh and elders will converge at the main viewing points to site the moon for Ramadan, which is expected to begin on Thursday.

For Ramadan 1439, VOC’s programming content will be built around the theme ‘The Holy Quran – A Divine Rope Through the Storm of Modern Toil.’ The Qur’an for Muslims is a source of divine blessing and merit, tranquillity and guidance.

“The month of Ramadan is the month in which the Holy Quran was revealed and in today’s life we have to contend with so many struggles on so many levels. So the idea was to celebrate the Noble Quran by highlighting the fact that despite its revelation over 1400 years ago, within it lies all the answers to today’s challenges,” said VOC programme manager Rashieda Davids.

What programme changes can VOC listeners expect?

The approach to programming, as with every year at this time, is to highlight the beauty of the month by producing programs that will spiritually uplift, inspire and motivate our listeners. VOC’s live programming starts at midnight with Salaahtul Layl and will have a more pronounced focus on global contributors this year, “which came about entirely organically,” said Davids.

VOC is teaming up with the Study Al Islam Group in the US and they will be providing lectures produced for our audiences around the time of Tahajjud. At specific times throughout the day we will be airing content from the UK as well as Australia for example and regular programming will make way for flagship Ramadan shows like Sobagh Al Khair Fee Ramadhan, Qalbun Saleem, The Iftar Show and our nightly Taraweegh broadcast to name but a few.

This Ramadan 1439 we also bring you the series “Supplications from Revelation” by Mufti Ismail Menk.
Tune in each evening to VOC at 11pm!

For the VOC OB team, Ramadan is a pressure cooker with very little time for family or personal reflection. The team is on the go 24/7 moving from commercial broadcasts to the nightly religious broadcasts. During this month, the broadcast crew will bring listeners 30 Salahtul Layl broadcasts, 30 Fajr broadcasts, 30 Taraweeh broadcasts, 4 Jumuah broadcasts, 4 Ahlan Wa Sahlan programmes and 25 commercial outside broadcasts – in addition to weekly Khatam programmes at various masajid.

VOC has also intensified its outreach projects, with a total of 5 for the month. These include:

-Pick ‘n Pay and The Voice of the Cape – Make A Difference campaign. Here listeners can nominate a deserving person in the community for basic food items

-Makro, Muslim Hands and The Voice of the Cape Feed the Hungry Fitra Campaign. All goods can be dropped off at Makro Ottery

-Pick ‘n Pay and The Voice of the Cape Bread Campaign. Pick ‘n Pay will be distributing bread to all our Taraweeh Masajid during Ramadan

-The Voice of the Cape Iftar Banquet on 3 June 2018. Purchase your ticket now to avoid disappointment by calling 021 4423500 during office hours.

-The Voice of the Cape Ahlan Wasahlan programme will be taking place on all four Sundays of Ramadan. Starting with Masjidul Manaarul Hudaa, Jordaan Street, Manenberg.

Asked about the challenges in the lead up to Ramadan, Davids points to the difficulties balancing the intense research for Ramadan with the daily flow of radio.

“The actual preparation itself I would say, logistics, confirming guests and key contributors while chasing that ever looming deadline is always a great factor. Yes it’s challenging, but so rewarding when things fall into place, Alhamdulilaah. Ramadan programming is the culmination of months of planning and it usually starts with building around a concept that kind of takes on a life of its own – I’d like to think of it as Divine Intervention. We constantly have to challenge ourselves by raising the bar, looking back at the previous year’s programming and how we can improve or elevate it to another dimension.”

On social media, VOC’s online community can look forward to a host of new content in keeping with the spiritual note of Ramadan as well bite-size information of all VOC’s daily programme and outside broadcast highlights. Over the past 50 days in the build up to Ramadan, our social media team built a campaign called #MyRamadan focused on the goals of each VOC staff member during this sacred period. The aim of the campaign was to take personalise each individual story of transformation and to remind VOC listeners of their own goals.

As VOC staff prepare to burn the midnight oil, Davids says its all systems go.

“Putting together our Ramadan programming is always a labour of love. Everyone on Team VOC understands the importance of producing quality programs that will provide spiritual nourishment to those tuning in. We invest so much of ourselves into these programs and going through the processes, discovering how it resonates within ourselves and then seeing it come into fruition is a priceless gift. So, we’re excited about bringing you these programs and it is our sincere duah that each and every one of us will reap of the countless blessings this great month has to offer, Ameen.” VOC