One and a Half Cameras
Imagine trying to fill eleven hours of television air time with original programming while grappling with a severe lack of equipment. No matter the level of one’s creativity, this presents a real challenge. The entire television station has one fully functioning camera. Another camera – well, half of a camera – is so old it cannot be taken out of the station or used in daylight because the electronic filters on the camera only function under artificial lights
. Daylight washes out all the colors.
So, only one camera can be sent out to film on-location and special events. On top of that, when the footage arrives back to the studio, the editing suite is a cobbled-together patchwork of ancient equipment that should not be working. The challenge is to make it work because that is the only option. When the editing is finally done, it is loaded onto the computer that will broadcast all the shows over the airwaves. Then it’s time to just sit back and pray – because if that computer goes down there is no back-up.
Sound like a nightmare situation? Well this scenario is not just a bad dream for the hard working volunteer team of men and women at Canal Viim Koeega, (Channel Word of Life), CVK, in Burkina Faso, West Africa. This is their daily reality. Frequently, members of the team must work through the night, during the 5 hours off-the-air time, in order to repair equipment. ??The team members at CVK volunteer their time and work so diligently because they believe in this ministry. Philippe Yameogo, the director of the station, shares frequent testimonies of non-Christian people who, after listening to these broadcasts call in to say thanks.
The CVK team has heard from many who share the same testimony. They have been so touched by the programming that they have come to believe in the God of the Christians. Opposition or outright persecution sometimes makes church attendance difficult. This makes the television broadcasts which they receive an even more vital element in maintaining their new faith.
Africa’s Children partners with these hard working volunteers in order to bring Christian children’s programming to the country. Pray that our partnership with them will be effective in strengthening this endeavor. Please consider helping with the purchase of necessary equipment to improve the stations work and expand their ministry so that the children of Burkina Faso might hear – see – the gospel.
