Flying For Life - September 2016

Time for another week in Northern Limpopo with Flying for Life and the preschool teacher training program. The trip started with the pickup of two trainers at Wonderboom Airport in Pretoria.

Margie, one of the field workers, was my cheerful 'co-pilot'.

This time of the year, the flying weather can be quite challenging. Impending overcast conditions forced us to fly up a day early, and thunderstorms almost kept us from coming home as planned.

This, however, was a peaceful moment above the clouds at 11,000 ft.(200kts/370kph ground speed!).

Mr. Nekhumbe was awaiting our arrival in his 'bakkie'. We unloaded the aircraft and locked it up for the week.

Time to visit a preschool. While the field workers gave practical tips on developing gross motor skills.

I spent my time painting the outside of the preschool.

Limpopo is hot and dry. Burnt Horizon was the colour of the paint, and had it not been for religious application of my sun block, my skin would have burnt to the same colour.

Each day field workers visit another preschool to perform evaluations...

In addition to building and playground maintenance I sometimes just play with the kids. They love the attention.

In Africa, something as simple as hanging up a poster can be a big challenge. It’s hard to imagine life without Duct tape, but it does exist. Thankfully I carry a roll in my tool bag.

Aside from the practical help we can bless people with, we are building relationships in the community. I was chatting to Mpho, a man who came to drop off his girl at the Zwigodini preschool. He soon explained that he works as gatekeeper and tour guide at 'The Big Tree', a huge Baobab which I had visited a few months ago (see August blog). When Mpho saw I was helping his daughter's preschool, he invited me to come by anytime to visit him at his job. He was so thankful for the way we were helping the community. 

It is a privilege to serve people in need through Mercy Air. Here’s a big 'thumbs up' from these preschool kids in Northern Limpopo.

Thank You. 

Azarja, for the Mercy Air Team.