The world's first missionary broadcasting ministry, HCJB Global, recently helped an up-and-coming independent Christian radio station to start broadcasting the Gospel throughout Boali, Central African Republic, for the first time in the country's history.

Integrated Community Development International (ICDI), as the country's first privately owned shortwave station, will allow Christian broadcasts to be available to most of the country's 3.5 million people.

"Our partner, Jim Hocking, and the staff of ICDI have prayed and worked to see this vision of nationwide Christian radio," said Curt Bender, manager of radio planting and development at the HCJB Global Technology Centre in Elkhart USA. He led a team that installed the equipment.

Bender shared, "This is a country that has been devastated by war and HIV/AIDS. The folks at ICDI plan to use the radio broadcasts to help disseminate community health information and to spread the Gospel. The needs are immense, but this station is a significant step in helping a people who need so much."

The station follows six years of planning and praying. Airing eight hours daily, programming will be available in French and three African languages - Sango, Aka and Fulfuldé. "This low-power shortwave radio station will enable the staff at ICDI to deliver community health information and the Gospel daily to remote villages inaccessible by vehicle," Bender added.

A week earlier, the mayor of Boali spoke during a "commissioning ceremony" to thank all the people who helped make the station a reality. "Her comments were aired to the nation over the radio during an initial one-hour test broadcast," Bender said.

The TB1000 shortwave transmitter, while portable and compact like a FM transmitter, can send the signal much farther than FM transmitters. The antenna, designed at the technology centre by Hastings and Maller, covers an area almost the size of a football field when fully assembled.

The team also set up two satellite dishes for access to the internet. This allows ICDI and other mission organisations in the country to have "reliable e-mail and internet access", Bender explained.

In addition, ICDI has been involved in various community health projects across the Central African Republic such as well-drilling to provide drinking water in remote villages, orphan care and micro-enterprise development.

"The radio station is as an effective way to disseminate community health information and spread the Gospel," Hocking explained. "Poor roads make travelling to many villages difficult or dangerous. For these reasons, radio has become the logical tool to reach the inaccessible people of the country."