Middle East (MNN) — Children
bear the scars of the conflicts in the Middle East. For those who grow up in a war zone, there's an obvious toll on young children who
can be seen playing horrific games of murder and mayhem.
Counselors say one of the problems heightening the trauma comes from
televised violence and destruction beamed continuously into homes, increasing
the constant exposure to violence in their communities.
As a result, many children feel they have no future. But SAT-7
KIDS counters that with a message of hope.
SAT-7 KIDS is the first and only Arabic Christian channel exclusively
for children. The team behind it aims to make the Gospel of Christ available to
an entire generation of young Arabs in a way meaningful to them.
At their one-year anniversary, they've seen audience responses triple, says
SAT-7's David Harder. He recently spoke with a viewer from Algeria.
"She said, in her country, most of the people coming to know Christ are
coming through the broadcast media, and also that there's nothing available for
children–even in the churches. They
just have so little material that she's very excited to have programs for
children, helping to train them, teach them, [and] encourage them to know the love of
Jesus."
The channel airs original dramas,
talk shows, educational material, cartoons, music programs and other shows that
capture the attention of young viewers.
Why? "Children are the future of tomorrow. They're the future of
the Middle East. We need to reach this generation."
It's an investment in the future
of the Middle East. Harder says their
audience needs to know the love of Christ. "They need to be encouraged to be peacemakers in their communities. So, we're hopeful that SAT-7 Kids will
actually effect an entire generation of kids — the future leaders of this
generation."
SAT-7 KIDS broadcasts from
Eutelsat Hot Bird 6 at 13º East, (Frequency 11.642 GHz, Horizontal Polarity,
27.5 MSym/sec, FEC ¾). Children's Arabic broadcasts run 24 hours a day, 7 days
a week.
