(July 25, 2017 - by Harold Goerzen) - While dozens of Reach Beyond’s media partners worldwide are adding healthcare components to their broadcasting outreaches, just the opposite happened recently in Nepal.

A longtime Nepali charity that offers medical services to all—regardless of their ability to pay—recently launched a community radio station on its hospital property in a rural area of west-central Nepal.

“Their vision is to empower and transform the community through the radio programs,” said Steve, a Reach Beyond engineer who helped install the station earlier this year. “Daily, people face the challenge of accessing clean drinking water and sustainable electricity supply. Local groups are actively pursuing development projects to better their communities. There is an airstrip, a church and a mission hospital.”

The new partner station—the 10th started with Reach Beyond’s assistance in Nepal since 2009—has its radio tower on the hospital property and is operated by a joint team of senior staff from the hospital.

“The station has four volunteers on staff,” noted the local radio partner. Test broadcasts began in January as the partner awaited a government inspection of the outlet following Nepal’s national elections on June 14.

“As a result, the outlet only airs songs and information for the time being,” added the partner. “Plans are to add programs such as health, education, agriculture, news and entertainment…. And we will soon broadcast Christian messages.”

Since the area’s power grid still hasn’t yet reached the area, broadcasts are limited to eight hours daily when the hospital’s generators are running (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.). “However, once the main line comes (soon), it will run from 5:30 a.m. till 10 p.m.,” said the partner.

While the immediate area around the hospital is mostly Hindu, “those families visiting the hospital and therefore listening to the radio during their stay would be coming from all over the surrounding districts which would include those practicing Tibetan Buddhism and other forms of animism,” said Steve.

“The launch was a very aggressive timeline,” he added. “Only one full day on location which was what was remaining after a lot of travel and navigating around roadblocks due to political protests, but we were able to accomplish most everything needed for the install. After we left, they were able to finish up and successfully went on air.”

Source: Reach Beyond