All dressed up and somewhere to go

This last week two Mercy Air staff, Paul and Cathy went to Maputo to represent Mercy Air at the:

Seventh edition of the International Stop Cervical Cancer in Africa Conference, jointly organised by the Forum of African First Ladies Against Breast and Cervical Cancer and the Princess Nikky Onyeri Breast Cancer Foundation.

How's that for a mouthful. However, with 15 African First Ladies and a smattering of Royalty present it was not as convoluted as the politically correct introductions that preceded each speakers presentation - some took up to three minutes to recognise everybody from 'His Excellency Armando Guebuza the President of the Republic of Mozambique' then Mrs. Maria da Luz Dai Guebuza the First Lady of the Republic of Mozambique' then through the various other first ladies, governmental ministers, honorable gentlemen, distinguished guests, delegates right down to the likes of us, 'ladies and gentlemen'. Some people were only given a five minute slot so this seriously cut into their ability to expound the virtues of their message or blow their own trumpet.

The opening ceremony was attended by about 1000 people.

and we were two of them.

There was some cultural activity during the breaks.

Before getting back to the job of listening to what people had to say.

The idea was that the first ladies joined forces with researchers, health professionals, representatives from multilateral organisations, politicians and activists to share knowledge, forge alliances and promote strategies to improve the prevention and treatment of various female cancers - according to the conference handout.

We were there to 'network' as well as meet a few people who had been introduced to Mercy Air in the US including one Doctor from Seattle, USA whom we brought back to visit Mercy Air afterwards.

There were a number of displays

That were really more of interest to Cathy!

The one evening we saw a full moon rise over the Bay of Maputo

and tried in some vain way to contain it.

On the final day we had a quick tour of the city including the old fort and then the railway station built by Gustave Eiffel in 1910. This had a quaint old world feel to it and was reminiscent of scenes from Murder on the Orient Express.

The station was featured in the film Blood Diamond with Leonardo DiCaprio.

It also had an atmospheric bar/waiting room between the platforms that is apparently the place to be and happening jazz hangout on Friday nights.

We departed much as we arrived, having to pick our way between the fancy business jets of the excellence's, honourable's and distinguished types that we had rubbed shoulders with the previous few days.

Arriving back in SA we parked next to one of Africa's few Kodiaks. This one belongs to Iris Ministries who are based in Mozambique.

Interestingly enough both the aircraft in the picture will park alongside each other in Malawi as we are doing a joint missions flight together in a week's time.

Once back in SA, Cathy took Julie, the doctor to the Africa School of Missions mobile clinic.

Later they went to ASM's fixed clinic...

Where she also met the class that Cathy teaches

On the last day they took in some scenery with some of the other Mercy Air wives by visiting Blyde River Canyon.

They were also fortunate enough to see one of Mercy Air's resident Crested Eagles sitting on a telephone pole alongside the runway.

Thank you

Mercy Air Team

Next, the Swedes!

A day after the Canadians were delivered to Chimoio we were flying back up to Moz again with a team from Sweden who were looking at getting involved with the work Mercy Air does in the Delta and with ASAM.

We first went to Marromeu where we stayed at the Mercy Air container base.

From there we flew into the Delta, a journey which used to take YWAM three days in an open canoe but now takes 20 mins in the helicopter

We took teachers and translators..

...who continued with the educational programe that YWAM and Mercy Air have developed.

Using various games and activities basic numeracy and literacy are taught.

People from five villages walked for up to 10 km to attend the classes.

We're not sure this guy's Brazilian football shirt is totally representative of an actual player!

After two nights in Marromeu we then flew through some weather and on to ASAM in Chimoio.

We visited a hospital that ASAM work with. The tour included the maternity ward its birthing tables...

and an interesting incubator...

...which amounted to a three bar electric fire bolted to the wall in front of table covered in a blanket and an assortment of electrical sockets.

There was also the hospital kitchen...

At ASAM they visited all the projects that they have developed over the years (education, clinic, agricultural etc) as well as the new airstrip and hangar that we should be able to use very soon.

 Our friends at ASAM have adopted a Duiker who freely wanders in and out of their house.

 After a hectic few days in Moz all that was then left to do was take a quick team photo...

...before flying down the coast on our way back to South Africa.

So, we hope that the reports that go back to Sweden about the work we are doing in Mozambique will release some funding that will enable us to be even more effective.

Thank you.

Mercy Air team

Watch out the Canadians are here!

We recently flew to Johannesburg International to meet five guests off a flight from Canada. We fly into Joey's once or twice a year so it always makes a interesting change to the type of places we usually go.

Jo'burg Int. traffic jam

Notice how the professionals always taxi on the line. Talking of which, I have noticed that I usually park slightly to the left, but with lines painted this wide even I found it hard to miss.

Towing the line

Us little planes have to park 3 km from the terminal building and a very expensive taxi brings our passengers out to us - eventually.

White waiting it does give you the chance to get close to and take pictures of other proper planes though.

We flew our Canadian guests to White River where they spent some time in the Kruger Park. A few days later we flew them up to Chimoio in Mozambique where they are working with our friends at ASAM for a month.

We had to delay by one day due to some pretty unseasonal weather but... we finally got into the air and on our way to Moz. Apparently some of the passengers found the flight quite exciting...

An interesting photo of the loos in Chimoio airport...

Seems that if you have limited space (or limited pre-planning ability) you can be quite inventive.

Just outside Beira we flew past the old Grande Hotel once apparently one of, if not the most luxurious hotel in Africa. Now there are fully grown trees growing from third floor balconies. Google it and click on images to see before and now pictures - interesting.

For the rest of the flight back  the pilot managed to bag business class - not often that happens.

Thank you.

Mercy Air team

Assortment

Whilst allowing for the potential Kodiak ferry flight, we were still kept busy with a number of shorter mission flights.

The first was another trip for Mercy Tech Missions, a Canadian based organisation who are developing a motor mechanic workshop at the ASAM base noth of Chimoio in Mozambique.

Rick (left) and his friends taking the mickey as we let him fly for a short while.

Yet again we fly past Paradise Island just north of Vilanculos.

This is headed up by Rick Cogbill who has a good blog with more pictures and less words than us at: http://mydustyshoes.blogspot.com/

The next two trips we did in our new Piper Seneca III which was kindly donated to us at the end of last year by a business man in Durban.

Seneca taking off from the Mercy Air farm.

The one trip involved taking a missionary who had been evacuated to South Africa for medical treatment back up to Mozambique, along with two mission kids who were returning to their families for Easter. The return flight involved bringing some German and US staff back to South Africa after visiting some of their missionaries in Mozambique.

The last flight was another one for Errol, the policeman who had been shot in the neck eleven years ago (a previous blog entry is at http://mercyair-sa.blogspot.com/2013/02/stormy-monday-blues.html. This was our fourth flight for him which enabled him to travel from his home in Kwa Zulu Natal to receive hospital treatment in Pretoria - and back.

On the way there we flew over the Cullinan Diamond Mine.

If you enlarge the picture above you can just see the huge Cullinan Diamond Mine where the world's biggest diamond was discovered in 1905 and which is now in the Crown Jewels in London.

Here's one from the web that shows it better:

  Meanwhile, back in the plane...

Errol in relative comfort in the back of the Seneca.

Police and medical staff help transfer Errol to a stretcher in Vryheid.

We appreciate that a lot of these pictures are just 'people in a plane' and in themselves aren't very exciting, but to those we flew and the people who received them they were quite important and it is a privilege for us to serve in this way.

The next couple of weeks are also busy for us so expect another update soon.

Thank you.

Mercy Air team