In 2004, a forum of African Christian broadcasters met in Burkina Faso to find out how they could work together to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ across their continent. As a result of this meeting, Africa by Radio (AbR) was born. AbR is “committed to seeing that every man, woman and child in Africa is provided the opportunity to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ through a medium they can access, in a language they can understand, so they can become disciples of Jesus.”
The most recent continental convention held in Ivory Coast in October 2023 hosted media personnel from 20 African countries in addition to Canada, France, Holland, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Ecuador and the United States.
Connecting media ministries across Africa with ongoing technical advice is a part of AbR’s strategy. SonSet Solutions is one of those technical organizations. Our very own media lead, Jack Kinney, taught two workshops during the convention. One of these was “A Solar Power Overview” and included common errors and beliefs, how to set up a solar-power system, developing a realistic power budget, how to address security, and introducing new technologies. “Making Better Videos” was the subject of Jack’s second workshop and included mechanics of the camera, common mistakes pulling focus, conventions in framing, dos and don’ts in audio, and how to develop compelling visual stories.
SonSet Solutions is made up of self-supported staff, as a result, we are able to provide free technical support to ministries on the front lines. We do this in various ways – over the phone, video chat, or traveling to their location. However we do it, our goal is to equip nationals with the help they need to carry on the work of the ministry in their region of the world.
By Erica Simone, January 2024