Work appreciated

"Without going to villages to see for yourself, it's hard to imagine how poor the conditions are, and how eager villagers are for new things such as satellite TV and projectors. Many villagers who greatly appreciated our help welcomed us with traditional dancing and rituals, treating us like VIPs, and that was very touching."

Guo Ziqi, StarTimes Group's vice-president, says the satellite TV project for 10,000 African villages has greatly benefited residents in many remote areas of Africa.

"The project has enjoyed wide recognition across recipient countries, and in many countries presidents or other senior officials such as ministers have attended launch ceremonies to show their support. In some countries satellite TV used to be largely exclusive to capital cities, but now it is available in wider rural areas.

"StarTimes hopes to work with various parties both at home and abroad to produce more TV that meets Africans needs, such as agricultural training and healthcare education programs."