Radio Bosco, Solomons: Building community, Empowering people

- Fr. Ambrose Pereira sdb

HONIARA: 3rd March 2005 -- Radio Bosco, 89.9 FM commenced its broadcast on 27 February, 2005 in the presence of Fr. Luciano Capelli sdb, Director of Don Bosco Solomons, Fr. Ambrose Pereira sdb, Director, Catholic Communications, Georg Amshoff, CAMECO Asia-Pacific representative, volunteers, friends, well-wishers and parishioners.

    Building community, Empowering people  is the slogan of the Community Radio station.  It will strive to focus on issues of Education, health, women, youth and community issues – as it shares news, views, happenings and stories from the lives of the people in its daily broadcast.  Dykes Angiki, SIBC General manager has welcomed the idea of the rebroadcast of the news and current affairs. 

     Situated at Don Bosco, Tetere, the radio station is in the midst of the RTC centre for boys and girls, the parish, the health centre, school, prison and the villages around the plantation.  “We ask God’s blessings for our people, our work, our efforts, our lives”, prayed Fr. Luciano Capelli sdb, at the opening of the radio station.  “This is one more dream fulfilled”, he stated, “and we are grateful for the gift. We ask the Lord to bless us and the volunteers who trust us and believe in what we do for the good of our people”. 

    Several have joined hands to get the radio station started.   “Networking has been an enriching experience as the different groups strive to contribute to enhance the lives of people”, stated Fr. Ambrose Pereira sdb. “We hope that the radio station will fulfill its role of education, information and entertainment for the people of Tetere”. 

    The current small-range equipment has been donated by the Italian volunteers and will be used an hour every afternoon.  "It's a new and educative experience," stated Alena Takacova, radio programmer for the station.  “The radio station has generated a wave of enthusiasm amongst the people”, said a smiling John Paeni, youth leader at Sali.  The people and youth at Sali village animated a lively Eucharist celebration and entertained guests on Sunday morning. 

`   “It is important that the people come forward to sustain the station with programmes,” stated Georg Amshoff.  Earlier Georg met several media and church personnel to get a glimpse of the situation and difficulties faced in the Solomon Islands. 

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