The Day the Airwaves Opened: July 4, 1991

35 YEARS AGO

Photo: Richard in center shaking hands with President Mobutu saying, "Mr. President, I have two communications projects held up in Kinshasa." President Mobutu turned to his right hand man and said, "See to this man's request."

For years, it seemed impossible.

Richard McDonald had met twice with President Mobutu and the Director of his Office, only to hear the same answer: the Constitution of Zaire gave a monopoly on public broadcasting to the state network, OZRT. There was, they said, simply no legal room for another radio voice in the country — let alone a Christian one.

But the story of Radio Kahuzi had never followed the ordinary path.

It began, unexpectedly, with a torn retina. A medical emergency sent Richard by helicopter to a mountain hospital, where he crossed paths with the President of the Far East Broadcasting Association — a meeting no one could have arranged, yet one that planted the first seed of an idea: what if the Gospel could reach eastern Congo over the air?

The very next day, before flying to the United States for treatment, Richard met with the Provincial Governor and asked for permission to use an abandoned radio studio to start a Christian broadcasting network. It was a bold request born out of urgency — and it turned out the Governor had, only weeks earlier, given his own life to Christ. His Administrative Assistant had done the same, just months before. The Lord, it seemed, had already been preparing hearts long before the request was ever made.

Still, the obstacles were real. For three years, Richard worked to complete the statutes required to establish Believers Express Service, Inc. (BESI) as a legal entity, all while the constitutional door to independent broadcasting remained firmly shut.

Then, in the early 1990s, everything changed. President Mobutu made the historic decision to end Zaire's one-party state and open the way for multi-party elections. Two days later, he signed a Presidential Decree recognizing BESI as a Congolese Association, clearing the path for its work.

On July 4, 1991, that vision became reality. Radio Kahuzi received the very first non-government broadcasting license ever granted in Zaire — a nation where, until that moment, no voice but the state's had ever been permitted on the air.

It was more than a license. It was the beginning of a National Network of Radio Broadcasting, and it quietly opened the door for other independent radio and television stations, and a measure of press freedom, to follow across the nation.

What had once been declared impossible by the highest office in the land became, through patience, faithfulness, and what can only be called divine timing, the first crack in a wall that had stood since independence.

Three decades later, Radio Kahuzi still broadcasts the Gospel across eastern Congo — a living reminder that when God opens a door, no constitution, no monopoly, and no impossibility can keep it closed.

"Behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it." — Revelation 3:8

Keep Looking Up!

 A PLEA FOR THE CHILDREN OF KALEHE

      130 orphaned children. One camp.                                                                                                                                                    Urgent need for your support.

On the night of May 4, 2023, floodwaters tore through the villages of Bushushu and Nyamukubi in Kalehe Territory, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. More than 5,000 people perished. Entire families were swept away. Houses, fields, schools — gone.

What the waters left behind were the children.

Who Are These Children?

Today, 130 orphaned children — ages 3 to 16 — live in the Cibanda Lwako Camp, a former airstrip 58 kilometers north of Bukavu. They are there because they have nowhere else to go. Their parents are dead. Their homes no longer exist.

130 Total orphans

52 Girls

78 Boys

10 Deaths in camp

 

Among them, 63 are of primary school age and 58 are of secondary or vocational training age. Nine are toddlers, between 3 and 5 years old, who have never known anything but life in this camp.

Life in the Camp

These children face hunger, malnutrition, and illness every day. Ten have already died from illness and malnutrition since arriving at the camp. Many have developed mumps — a painful, fever-causing viral infection — with 10 currently affected, three of them severely.

They sleep crowded together on thin mats. Their clothes are torn. When the rains come — and they come often — the children are cold, sick, and terrified. They dream of landslides coming to bury them in their sleep.

"In this house, I sleep in a small room with my younger brothers on a small mat, often waking up in the morning with stomach pain. Our clothes are torn. When it rains, we are cold and suffer from headaches. At night, I have nightmares that the landslides will return to bury us here." — Ombeni, age 10

Without sponsorship or income, the children have no access to school. Some are forced by hunger into domestic labor in strangers’ homes, performing heavy chores in exchange for food — a cycle of exploitation that deepens their trauma and cuts them off from any hope of a normal future.

Surveys conducted at the camp have confirmed serious psychological trauma: grief, anxiety, and stress that, left unaddressed, will impair these children’s development for years to come.

What Radio Kahuzi Has Already Done

Radio Kahuzi Bukavu (BESI) has not stood by. With very limited local resources, our team — led by journalist Danny Magadju and his wife — has provided rice, beans, and porridge to the camp, organized medical care for the most critically ill children, and brought a Christmas celebration to the camp each December so these children can experience a moment of joy and dignity.

Three children with severe mumps received $50 worth of medication, funded by Radio Kahuzi. But our resources are exhausted. The need far exceeds what we can provide alone.

What Your Support Will Do

We are asking for your help to launch two income-generating projects that will provide sustainable food security for these children, along with continued access to schooling, healthcare, and psychosocial support.

Project 1: Mini Piggery

A small pig farm — 12 piglets, a wooden sty, and six months of feed — will provide these children with a sustainable source of protein and income. Space is already available at the camp site.

Construction of wooden pigsty                               $400	$400
Purchase of 12 piglets                                  $480 + $36	$480 + $36
Feed for 6 months (oilcakes)                               $1,500	$1,500
Equipment (cans, buckets) + contingency              $174	$174
TOTAL START-UP COST                                    $2,590	$2,590

Project 2: Family Fish Pond

A tilapia fish pond (100m x 60m) will provide a second source of nutrition and income. Land is available. Fingerlings will be sourced from a neighboring country and transported to Kalehe.

Digging the fish pond                                                                $350	$350
Materials (pipes, nets, tools)                                                     $180	$180
9,000 fingerlings + transportation                                           $1,700	$1,700
Fish feed for 6 months                                                               $500	$500
Maintenance + contingency                                                      $295	$294
TOTAL START-UP COST                             $3,024	$3,024

Together, these two projects are projected to cover approximately 65% of the children’s food and basic needs — reducing dependence on external aid and giving these children a foundation for the future.

Kalehe Territory sits in the heart of South Kivu, a region that has faced both natural disaster and armed conflict. The floods of 2023 killed over 5,000 people in a territory of fewer than half a million inhabitants. The armed conflict of early 2025 has only deepened the humanitarian crisis — and the suffering of the most vulnerable: the children.

These 130 orphans have lost everything — their parents, their homes, their schools, their childhoods. They have survived floods, conflict, illness, and hunger. They are resilient. But resilience alone is not enough without support.

The Bible tells us: "Pure and undefiled religion before God is to visit orphans in their suffering" (James 1:27). We take that seriously. We hope you will too.

"A child who smiles is a child who heals and learns."

How to Give

Every dollar you give goes directly to the children of the Cibanda Lwako Camp. Please contact us to make a donation or learn more about sponsoring a child’s education.

GO TO:

www.besi.org/Donate

Léa's PODCAST BIO

 

Hi everyone!

My name is Léa Mulasi Kalangwa, a Calvary Preparatory Academy and Calvary Chapel University alumna.

I'm originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, but I currently live in Kampala, Uganda.

I had the opportunity to start a podcast program for Radio Kahuzi, called "The Radio Kahuzi Podcast," and the first few podcasts were published in June 2025. We first started with English and now we have added French and Swahili.

Our mission is to reach souls and declare God's glory, and we hope to reach and impact youths all over the world.

Throughout this journey so far, I have grown a lot in presenting and sharing my different themes to the world. And I recently started to edit the videos myself. By God's grace and with Him by my side, I hope to continue growing and becoming better and better for His glory! I hope and pray that through this project, God will use me to share His Word and impact people's lives, especially youths around the world.

Thank you all for watching, listening, and may you be blessed by the messages.

God bless!

Thank you so much!

With Love,

Léa

HAPPY 82ND BIRTHDAY, RICHARD!

 

RADIO KAHUZI STILL BROADCASTING THE STORY OF JESUS

                                                                          

 CELEBRATING 

 ~EASTER~

HE IS OUR ROBE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND OUR 

REASON FOR BROADCASTING 

THE JESUS STORY...

...FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD, THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH, BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE.  JOHN 3: 16

RUN . . . THE TREE IS FALLING!

What Happened

On Thursday, March 3, 2026, Kati was walking home from the university with a group of friends, taking a shortcut through the forest. She had just finished delivering her oral thesis —having already graduated at the head of her class with a MASTER IN LAW DEGREE — and the group was in high spirits. Government workers were cutting trees late that afternoon when someone suddenly shouted, "The tree is going to fall!" The students scattered in every direction, but Kati ran the wrong direction. The tree struck her on the head, chest, and legs, the force so great that it apparently dislocated her leg at the joint.

Her friends pulled her from under the tree and got her to town. She was first taken to the General Hospital, which turned her away for lack of specialists. An ambulance — paid for by her parents, Feza and Primo — transported her to the University Hospital, where she was admitted to the ICU. Doctors assessed her injuries as serious but said she would be okay, and surgery was planned to address the leg. Her father, Primo, traveled to be with her; Richard and the Radio Kahuzi team advanced him $100 for meals.

Tragically, early the next morning, Kati passed away — most likely from internal injuries or internal bleeding.

The Mourning

The family observed three days of mourning at Feza and Primo's home rather than at their church. Because the house is small — part of a duplex — most mourners gathered outside. It rained during the nights, so the family and their neighbor erected makeshift tent sheeting for two groups. Pastor Grégoire and the Grace Church supported the family throughout. Richard and the Radio Kahuzi team helped purchase a goat and food to support the three days of mourning and celebration of Kati's life. The mourning officially concluded at 2:00 p.m. on the final day.

The Family

Feza and Primo have three children: their son Don, who has recently completed his Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Informatics; their son Fider (whose name means "Faithful"); and Kati whose full name is Kathleen, named after Kathleen McDonald. Dada Feza has said that God loved Kati dearly and has now called her home to Himself for eternal life. She is certain they will see Kati again in the kingdom of heaven.

"But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." — Matthew 6:20–21

JUDAH'S TRIBUTE TO THE COMFORTING POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

                        Lilah Faith (16), Jared, Kim, and Judah

You might think my family and I are crazy, but a person can only convince themselves something didn’t happen for so long before they give up. Denial only lasts for so long, but the joy that the Holy Spirit gives is eternal, so crazy that even I can hardly believe how overjoyed I am in every moment.  

There were no stages of grief, there was only healing, love and joy. That is proof that my God is real. He is so sovereign he can use death to bring life and love in places where there should logically be none. No height, no depth, no angel, no demon, can separate me from the love that is in Jesus Christ.

 

This same joy and peace are only found in His arms, nothing you have to earn, and there is nothing you have to do to receive it. The God of our universe died in the worst way possible just for you, just so you could have it. He only wants a relationship with you, so accept the gift freely given!!! No matter what you’ve been through, what you’ve done, or who you’ve hurt, God is waiting with open arms for you.

 

Throughout the entire time Lilah was in the hospital, I never once asked God why, when she was in her last days, I never doubted His plan, and after she had passed, I never raised my voice or cursed Him.

 

The only question I asked myself was “How am I waking up every morning praising Him and having this much peace?”. It was absolutely nothing I could do, it was all Him. We have an advocate with the Father, we have a man who was imprisoned, whipped until his ribs showed through His back, forced to carry a cross that he would be nailed to hours later with a crown of thorns on his head.

 

Whatever you’ve been through, that man went through ten times over, and He didn’t do it for no reason, or curse anyone, in fact, He forgave those who crucified Him. Jesus Christ died for you, even if you would have put Him on that cross. He died so you could have the chance to know Him and accept the gift of eternal life.

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 

Romans 10: 9 

 To Listen to Lea's Podcast Click On One of Her Titles to Your Right.

Radio Kahuzi Remains Steadfast

Radio Kahuzi Remains Steadfast 

Broadcasting Daily to a City of 1.3 Million

On Tuesday, February 25, 2025 M23 seized control of our government buildings in downtown Bukavu as Congolese officials fled for their lives, but Radio Kahuzi Staff have remained faithful seven days a week reaching out to the population with a message of God's Love, Peace and Reconciliation.

Your Support is Needed

Rich and Kathy McDonald lack $2,500 in monthly support.

Please consider a regular monthly gift to keep Radio Kahuzi on the air, sharing His Good News.

"How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?" Romans 10:14

Update from the Frontline

Greetings Friends of BESI / Radio Kahuzi,

Here we are, still in Bukavu writing from a war zone. 

So Much Suffering

Over 650 homes were burned to the ground near the center of Bukavu. People are fleeing for their lives. Terroist attacks are happening near the US Embassy in Kinshasa with TERRORIST ALERTS AND ADVISORIES broadcast yesterday.

Many are faithful listeners of Radio Kahuzi. Please remember them in your prayers.

Our property guardian came to work after being stopped twice at road blocks, and was told by the M23 rebels that they would be searching every house in his neighborhood. They finally allowed him to pass when he told them he worked in our neighborhood, Muhumba.

Kidnappings Continue

Later, his wife called saying the M23 took two young boys they had invited to stay with them as they were in danger. One boy is deaf!

Two days later, our watchman's wife sent word to us that M23 brought back one of the boys. He was badly blistered on his bottom from the beatings. They said they will bring back the other boy after he is released from the hospital…the result of his beatings.

This sends a message not to resist their demands.

M23 rebels said they are going to occupy the homes in Dona’s neighborhood and will defend and make it their last stand before the final signing of the Peace Plan negotiated by the United States between Rwanda and Congo goes into effect. 

They instructed the population to move away from the area. They do not plan to leave Congo quietly.

Please lift up the innocent to His Throne of Grace.

Visitors to Radio Kahuzi...

Leaders came representing NGO’s in North and South Kivu and Maniema. 

On July 18, 2025, I invited the leaders of the Civil Societies of the Eastern Provinces to request a lawsuit against the M23, Rwanda, Uganda, etc. 

Pictured, First, from Kabare and Kalehe; Second & Fourth, from South Kivu and Maniema; (Richard third) the Fifth person represents “Foyer in Peace” and the sixth, represents “Grass Roots Humanitarian Committee”.

July 27th should bring clarification with the two signatures of D R Congo and Rwanda’s President.

Hopefully, it will also include the President of Uganda as he isusing M23 types to control areas in North Kivu.

They came to give me copies of their dossier to be given to OCHA / the head UN Agency. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is the UN's head agency responsible for coordinating humanitarian responses during emergencies, who also heads OCHA, is Thomas Fletcher.

A NOTE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF BESI / RADIO KAHUZI

Barbara Smith, Secretary 

Harold Smith, President of BESI / Radio Kahuzi

Greetings in His Precious Name,

Please help us encourage Kathy on her upcoming birthday, July 26th. Kathy has spent most of her life in Africa, except for high school and college, so her heart is very much with the African people and their suffering is her suffering.

Of the recent events, Kathy said, "Praise the Lord for the signatures to end the violence, but when will it end?"

Only when the Prince of Peace Appears in the Heavens to catch us away. Praise the Lord for Paul's revelation to the churches.

Photo: Taken in 1985 a year before their dream of 

BESI / Radio Kahuzi became a reality.

Feza Arrives at Work

32 Years of Faithful Service

Our Team is so faithful even in the face of danger.

Feza arrives at Radio Kahuzi to share her faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and to encourage our loyal listeners while they endure yet another time of uncertainty and fear.

Your prayers and financial support are critical to keep Radio Kahuzi broadcasting the Gospel each and every day.

Please consider a birthday gift to Kathy and become a monthly donor for their ministry. Your gifts, large or small are truly appreciated at this critical time. So many of our Kahuzi families are in and out of the hospital with expenses that are beyond our budget. $5,000 is urgently needed.

Thank you to all who have followed and prayed for our ministry with BESI / Radio Kahuzi.

Keep Looking Up!

Harold and Barbara Smith

JULY 4TH ...HAPPY 33RD ANNIVERSARY BESI / RADIO KAHUZI!

 

Kathy and Richard McDonald were ready to return to Bukavu, D. R Congo (formerly Zaire) with a new "FM Transmitter in a Suitcase" to broadcast the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

President Mobutu signed the first free radio license. This opened the way for other radios, TV and free elections.

  

Here, Richard moves out of the crowd and extends his hand to shake the President's hand and to ask, "Excuse me, Mr. President, but we have two telecommunications projects that are being delayed in Kinshasa." President Mobutu turned and called the director of his office and introduced him to Richard saying, "Take care of this gentleman's questions." Richard walked with him behind the President and set up a rendezvous to discuss his projects. (Mama Mobutu is in the foreground shaking hands and greeting the people while bodyguards keep watch.) 

The permit for Radio Kahuzi was signed on July 4, 1991, by both the Minister of State for Information and Press and the Minister of State for Agriculture. Their letters agree to the technical papers proposing several of each: FM, medium wave, and shortwave broadcasting transmitters for Christian programming, as well as for agricultural and other rural development broadcasting, including health, hygiene, and nutrition. They classify it as a Program of Priority Public Investments, allowing customs exemptions for importations of equipment, etc.

Richard shared, "As we revisit the events of July 4, 1991, Kathy and I are very thankful to have lived several zenith events where we have experienced the Holy Spirit's intervention. Despite our frequent incapacity and simplicity as we live through this Age of Grace, we realize we are nearing the End Times and the conclusion of the Holy Spirit's work here on this earth. We are very grateful to be a part of that work during these tumultuous times."

To God be all the Glory for the things He has done!