by Ted Watts
Mission team leader
Generator in field
Why is there a large diesel generator sitting in the middle of a dry rice field in rural northern Madagascar?
It’s all part of the vision to bring the Good News of Jesus to more people across Mandritsara District—especially those living in remote and hard-to-reach villages.
The Good News Radio Station has faithfully served the district for many years. But until now, the signal has only reached around 50% of the population. The goal of this latest expansion project is to increase that to 80%, allowing thousands more to hear the gospel in their homes.
This week marked a major milestone: getting the transmission equipment to the top of the hill that will serve as the new broadcast relay point.
Generator slung below helicopter
Generator landing
Helimission—long-time partners in evangelism and community health—were in Mandritsara for a week of ministry in the villages of the region, and we were able to take advantage of their presence to carry out a complex logistical part of the project. Using their helicopter, we transported a 20-metre pylon (in sections), 14 solar panels, an inverter, a set of heavy-duty batteries, mounting equipment—and the 530kg diesel generator you saw in the rice field! Altogether, it took eight flights: five with slung loads beneath the helicopter, and three with cargo inside.
Parts of the 20m pylon being flown in
The team at the top of the hill with the generator
Flying heavy, awkward loads under a helicopter isn’t straightforward. It pushed the helicopter’s weight limits and required careful coordination in hot, dusty, and windy conditions. But we praise God that everything went smoothly. It was a joy to work alongside the Helimission team and see what can be achieved by God’s grace as a team works together.
The hilltop site will allow us to beam the signal from the new radio station building (currently under construction) in Mandritsara town, up to the pylon, from where it will be broadcast across a much wider area on FM radio. Because the site is off-grid, it needs to run entirely on solar power, with battery and generator backup for cloudy days and evenings.
Batteries coming in
The equipment flown this week arrived from Northern Ireland a few days ago in a 40-foot container. That container also brought soundproofing and electrical kit for the new radio building—designed with better studios, improved sound isolation, and more space for our small team to record and broadcast without the interruptions of playground noise that they experience at the current site within the campus of the Good News School.
Construction work on the new Radio Station is nearing completion
What are the next steps? In the next couple of weeks, a Malagasy contractor is due to arrive to erect the 20-metre pylon on the hill. And then, in late July, we’ll be joined by the LIFT team - a team of electricians and air-conditioning specialists from Northern Ireland to help complete the installation of solar, generator and inverters at the hilltop site, and to put the finishing touches to the radio building itself.
We’re so thankful to God for the safe transport of the equipment and for the provision of the container, the helicopter, and the teams making this possible. Please keep praying—for the safe and timely erection of the pylon, for the team coming in July, and above all that this expanded station would serve its purpose: to bring the hope of Jesus Christ to many more people in this region.
The pylon sections on the hill
Ted and Helimission team
Flying High