A woman is delighted with her radio delivered by MAF (credit: Tianna Chapman)

In South Sudan, where 65% of the population can’t read or write, the power of radio is a vital gateway to community development and the Gospel. For over ten years, MAF has partnered with ‘Every Village’ to transport thousands of solar-powered radios, equipment and engineers to South Sudan’s most isolated people. MAF’s Jenny Davies reports…

South Sudan has one of the lowest literacy rates in the world. According to UNESCO, only 35% of the population can read or write, which is hindering the country’s economic growth.

65% of South Sudan’s population cannot read or write (credit: Dave F)

For nearly 20 years, MAF partner ‘Every Village’ (EV) has been using the power of radio to reach nearly three million people in Aweil in the north, Tonj in the west, and Mvolo in the south.

To date, EV has distributed over 172,000 mostly solar-powered radios to extremely isolated communities in South Sudan. MAF has transported most of them.

Every Village broadcasts their programmes to nearly 3 million people (credit: Dave F)

Connecting isolated people to the outside world

Programming is a mix of health, education, social, agricultural, music, sport and Gospel content. South Sudan’s most isolated villages now have access to life-changing information and God’s Word in their mother tongue, which is transforming lives.

Many villages in South Sudan are isolated with little infrastructure (credit: Dave F)

In 2009, EV built ‘Weer Bei 99 FM’ radio station in Aweil, which broadcasts in Dinka, Dinka Malual, Luo, Jurmodo and Arabic. A repeater station was built in 2020, which means they now have a combined reach of 1.3 million people tuning into broadcasts in their own native dialect.

Weer Bei 99 FM has been broadcasting to Aweil since 2009 (credit: Dave F)

Since 2012, EV has been broadcasting to the people of Tonj in Dinka and Luo on ‘Döör 99.9 FM’. A repeater station was built in 2022, which has increased the overall reach to over one million people.

In 2016, EV built a ‘Akoo FM’ radio station in Mvolo, which broadcasts in the Jur Modo language to some 600,000 people.

Presenter at Döör 99.9 FM which has been broadcasting to Tonj since 2012 (credit: Dave F)

In a country with high illiteracy rates, MAF pilot Wim Hobo – who’s delivered thousands of radios – explains the huge impact of one small device:

‘You can distribute Bibles, but for many people who’ve never learnt to read, the radio is much more accessible. With just one of these radios, the whole family can listen together. It’s a great tool!

‘Flights like these are really satisfying because if you think about how many people can be reached with 5,000 radios, it’s actually quite impressive! Such a small device has such a big impact. Thousands of people can be reached with the Gospel with just one plane load of cargo!’

MAF pilot Wim Hobo

Wim Hobo delivers 5,000 radios to Malualkon in Aweil East County (credit: Wim Hobo)

Each station comprises of a recording studio and an office for local radio staff. Each solar-powered radio is listened to by an average of seven to ten people (source: Every Village).

Due to solar energy, the radios don’t need batteries and can be used where there is no electricity – ideal for South Sudan, which has little infrastructure in remote areas. Demand is high – they sell out fast after MAF planes land!

Each radio operates by solar power, so no battery is needed (credit: Jenny Davies)

So precious are the radio programmes, listeners will go to great lengths to access the airwaves, says Andrew Brown – Executive Director of Every Village:

‘We know that there are people from much further away listening. Our radio staff told us, that they have four daily callers into the station from Maridi which is 90 miles away! They’re using one of the solar powered radios we’ve distributed by putting it on top of a tree and extending the antenna!’

Other villagers have walked up to four days just to meet the MAF plane in order to buy a radio.

Excited crowds meet a MAF plane in Torput (credit: Dave F)

A MAF flight saves many hours by road

Without MAF, these remote locations are extremely difficult to get to, says Every Village’s Chief of Staff, Daniel Lual, who is based in Uganda’s capital, Kampala:

‘We always enjoy flying with MAF because you can land anywhere, on any airstrip, keep to time, and have good customer care. We can book a charter or shuttle, which makes it very affordable for us to fly.

‘When you travel with MAF, you don’t worry about safety. It’ s really difficult to travel to some places in South Sudan, but MAF makes it possible. If MAF wasn’t around, it would be very challenging for us to get around.’

Daniel Lual, Chief of Staff at Every Village and frequent MAF flyer

Daniel Lual (L): ‘If MAF wasn’t around, it would be very challenging’ (credit: Dave F)

Without MAF’s 1 hour, 30-minute flight from the capital Juba to Mvolo, by road it would take over a day to get there. A 50-minute flight from Mvolo to Tonj saves another day on the road. From Juba to Aweil, it’s 2 hours, 30-minutes by air or 18 hours by road!

MAF transports radio engineers and trainers

When MAF aren’t transporting radios, they’re flying in engineers to install or fix equipment such as when Döör 99.9 FM in Tonj wasn’t transmitting properly.

An engineer fixes the radio tower at Tonj (credit: Jenny Davies)

MAF delivers large solar batteries for the radio stations, which are powered by both solar energy and generators, with a view of going 100% clean energy in future.

MAF also flies in trainers to deliver radio courses. When 16 radio staff from Tonj, Mvolo and Aweil gathered in Tonj to learn about radio best practice and maintenance, MAF picked them up from Mvolo and Aweil to make their attendance possible.

MAF regularly flies the Every Village team across South Sudan (credit: Dave F)

Peter Bede – Ako’o FM’s Station Manager at Mvolo wouldn’t have missed it for the world:

‘I look forward to us coming together from the three stations, Mvolo, Tonj and Aweil for one week, which will be refresher training for me, and a chance to fellowship with colleagues.’

Honore – a radio engineer from Benin – is honoured to lead the training:

‘I first came to Tonj in 2017 when I set up this station. It was my first trip to South Sudan. Radio is very important for these communities. In big cities people are addicted to TV, but in rural places like these, it’s all about the airwaves.’

Training includes how to use a mixer in the studio (credit: Andrew Brown / Every Village)

Daniel Lual explains the importance of training:

‘The training covers the technical aspects of radio including how to use the mixer, the transmitter, and the power connections covering both solar and generator power. The training is needed to help the teams know how to troubleshoot and fix the problems that often come up and cause a break in service.’

The fruits of their labour

Thanks to MAF delivering radios, which break through language and literacy barriers, more people are accessing knowledge for development and turning to Christ.

Future generations will benefit from radios delivered by MAF (credit: Dave F)

Before Marin received a radio in Tonj, he practiced indigenous beliefs and wore charms around his neck. But when he tuned into Biblical teaching on Door FM 99.9, he got baptised a week later and burned his charms!

Several witch doctors have also been turning to Christ through the power of radio. Their family members heard the Christian message on the radio and urged their relatives to abandon their dark practices. After some Every Village missionaries prayed for them, the witch doctors committed their lives to God and threw their idols into the fire.

One recent convert is even receiving discipleship training and hoping to start his own church in the local community.

Until literacy rates improve in South Sudan, radios – delivered by MAF – are helping to bridge the gap.

Radio has the power to transmit God’s Word and change lives (credit: Dave F)