February 5, 2008
Some 2,000 Burkinabe people attended the dedication of the Tougan Christian radio ministry, Gospel Radio Burkina. Already, there are four stations in Bobo-Dioulasso, the second largest urban center in Burkina Faso, West Africa. With the addition of the Tougan station, many of Burkina’s isolated villages will be able to hear the good news of Jesus through solar-powered radios.
“This medium often is the only way that nationals can be informed of current events, public health issues, or refugee-assistance programs,” said an Alliance worker who overseas Christian radio for The Alliance in West Africa. “With more than an 80-percent illiteracy rate in parts of Africa, local FM radio allows listeners to hear the written Word of God, spoken in their particular dialect. Some are now reciting Scripture and sharing God’s truth without even being able to read.” In places where no church exists, the radio is the Bible and the link to spiritual growth.