“This is the first time the whole church can clearly hear the Word of God.”
Imagine a church service where only those seated in the front can follow the message, while others strain to hear and slowly lose interest.
“Today, the singing is heard, the preaching is clear, and the congregation is united. The joy is tangible.”
Etienne Kiemde, director of Radio Évangile Développement (RED), expressed how the Solar Ministry Toolkit (SMT) is making a difference in rural churches in Burkina Faso.
SonSet Solutions has a 34-year history with RED in radio broadcasting. Today, RED reaches out to a population of almost 3 million people in 25 languages with gospel programming over eight radio stations throughout the country. In a time of political unrest and insecurity – when many churches have been forced to close – radio has become a vital channel for sharing the gospel.
But Kiemde recognized that the churches still meeting in remote areas needed more than radio alone.
Through a generous grant, 50 Solar Ministry Toolkits are now being installed in local churches. Each toolkit includes a speaker system, wireless microphones, a projector, and a mini Wi-Fi server. A solar-powered battery system provides reliable energy where electricity is scarce or nonexistent.
The impact has been immediate and remarkable.
Skeptical onlookers, curious neighbors, and young people can now clearly hear the gospel in one place, together. Churches are reporting unexpectedly large crowds gathering in the evening to watch biblical films. Kiemde observed, “Men, women, young people; some curious, some skeptical, come to watch. They stay. They listen. And then… they ask questions. And conversations begin. Hearts open.”
Thirty-three years of radio broadcasting have built relationships with the people of Burkina Faso, and 50 Solar Ministry Toolkit’s are building bridges between RED and local pastors. People are being brought together, not just to hear the message, but to respond to it.
By Bella Kratzer and Erica Simone, June 2026