Photo of the week, May 30th 2012



Photo Courtesy of WAASPS Ltd. http://www.waasps.com/



'The clouds at this time of year build fast. Wind and rain come from, apparently, no where, and the crops are not just watered but often flattened also. Farmers are working hard in unpredictable conditions to ensure national food security. The beauty of these clouds is great and, as our ancestors learned long ago, we must make the most of what we have, by judiciously planning and monitoring the skies, to the benefit of our growth.

May 28th, 2012

Fresh Air Matters... with Capt. Yaw

When we fly a ‘drop-run’ to rural communities it is always exciting – and full of procedures. Loading the aircraft with the health education materials; making sure that the GPS is loaded with the correct run sequence; checking the fuel levels and tank configurations; preparing the drop hatch and cameras; final checks and climbing aboard; starting the engine; rolling; take-off and climb...

The next section is an enjoyable treat, flying over the magnificent Ghanaian countryside, towards the drop-zone. During this phase of the flight, the plane is on the heavy side, and does everything in a ‘slower than usual’ manner. This adds to the pleasure of absorbing the sight of Mount Yogaga passing underneath the right wing.

As we climb through two-thousand-five-hundred feet we start to see the Volta Lake, resplendently shimmering in the sun, the wind making ripples on the surface of the inland sea. Not only does this under-realised asset feed the wall sockets of Ghana, it also supports major South-North and North-South supply chains, is a food basket for millions and is incredibly beautiful.

We start the descent into the Upper Manya District. Literally hundreds of hamlets and villages scattered across the countryside, like seeds blown by the wind. Our targets are the school fields, at the very request of the people living there. Not just any school, only those with hard to reach community members. The GPS warning of 2 minutes to drop site comes up, and the Drop Master reaches back to select the numbered package. A package prepared to ensure a safe and efficient delivery of educational materials and communications. As the ‘descent to drop’ continues the crew jointly decides on the safety route – which way to pull up and out after the drop. The plane levels for less than five seconds and, as the drop site edge passes visibly through the drop hatch, the Drop Master releases the package, calling ‘Drop!’ as they do so. The Pilot adds power and climbs, the Drop Master looks up, and the plane lifts upwards in the predetermined safety arc.

A brief glimpse down reveals faces. Faces that are rotated, upon the necks of their owners bodies, to new angles. Flipped-back and looking vertical the faces are beaming – clear demonstration of the reflective quality of the Ghanaian dental array! Arms are lifted, waving hands are uncountable, and then, in a second, the plane is out of sight.

The GPS counts down to the next drop. Less than five minutes flight time could equal an hour or two by ground transport. The drop system is aimed at reducing the challenge of reaching rural communities, making it even easier than driving between communities on a tarmac road, and it works.

The cycle is repeated until the aircraft load is depleted, and the crew climb again to a height, above the terrain, of relaxation. The flight back to the home field is full of satisfaction. The Drop Master, if also a pilot, may give the Mission Pilot relief, by sharing the controls, as they enjoy their snacks and drinks. Inflight catering is a big word for a bottle of water and some biscuits – perhaps with some chewing gum as a bonus!

Landing back at the field, it is inevitable that the telephone is already ringing, and the Health Care crew are telling stories of the calls coming in. The community has switched on its phone (they have no power to keep it charged, so only switch it on when needed), climb to the point where they can get coverage, where possible, and excitedly, with pride, report in the receipt of their materials.

For the flight crew, it is a job over. For the Health Care Crew it is a job beginning. For the community it is an opportunity to work towards a better health quotient, and subsequent socio-economic sustainability.

One such village received a package on Schistosomiasis. The training materials lovingly packed into the special delivery medium and dropped with precision onto the school field. The community health rep, assisted by the Queen Mother, arranged a health education meeting, armed with their new materials.

Showing the posters and reading out the ‘guidance sheet’, translating the language needs of the community, eagerly sharing the message from the sky. It is rather exciting, after all!

What happened next makes me proud to be a part of the team that made that drop. The community members realised that many of the things being talked about, that could propagate the spread of schistosomiasis, were the very acts that they were doing daily. It was not the first time of hearing this, but, perhaps, for many, the first time of realising this.

The community members are keen to change their habits, and look to the sky for another drop. Hoping for more materials to be shared by their community health reps, and Queen Mothers, as they yearn to improve their lot.

Many of these communities are small, around 300 people or less. Some are a little larger. All are communities that are not easy to get to. All are communities with wonderful people. All are worthy of the simple educational exposure that could improve, or even save, their lives and the livelihood, possibly the very existence, of the community.

It is hoped that soon this method will be used to work on larger runs, reaching many more communities, reaching out across the whole Volta Basin. Touching places that no health worker could ever imagine reaching on anywhere near a regular basis.

How can this happen? It relies on the ‘F’ word. Yes, I said the ‘F’ word. That word that nobody likes to hear. That word that causes politicians and business men alike to close their ears. It is a word that strikes fear into the heart of the bank account, wallet or purse of every person who hears it. The ‘F’ word. I dare not even type in the sacred pages of this esteemed newspaper, or allow the word to escape to the internet pages where this column gets disseminated. The ‘F’ word. A word that appears to be so hard to grasp or obtain.

I get asked on a regular basis ‘where do get your ‘F’ing’. My response is ‘mainly we make our own but it is limited and we do what we can with it’. Such a response is often met with disdain. It is not seen as ‘normal’ to generate the majority of your own ‘F’s through social entrepreneurship. Especially not when there are many organisations that offer large helpings to those who can meet their criteria.

But there are some basic problems with the traditional ‘F’unding of projects (oops I spelt the ‘F’ word out!).

• 1. Funding of projects is generally linked to political lifecycles. Real change in the community takes more than a political cycle.  
• 2. Finding Funding for remote sites that the funding agency cannot practically get to in order to assess the impact is like looking for a five-legged sheep.
• 3. Funding tends to go to the larger organisations who consume large amounts of the funding in their own overheads, and funding request applications, reducing the field impact. Such large organisations are better placed to apply for, and win, Funding. Smaller organisations tend to be too busy working on the problems to dedicate the time to completing the ‘lottery’ of funding applications.

At least I get to see the smiling faces of thousands of the people being helped by the missions we fly, changing lives, one flight at a time…

Capt. Yaw is Chief Flying Instructor and Chief Engineer at WAASPS, and lead Pilot with Medicine on the Move, Humanitarian Aviation Logistics (www.waasps.com www.medicineonthemove.org e-mail capt.yaw@waasps.com)

Photo of the week, May 23rd 2012

For this young Ghanaian man, a dream is slowly coming true. Three years ago 'Ernest the mobile phone repair man', from Ashaiman market, started to learn to fly. Barely affording one lesson a lesson per month at the outset, he has been taking regular part-time flying lessons at Kpong Airfield in the Eastern Region. Over the last three years he has progressed at a steady pace, and on Friday, 18th May, he made his 'First Solo' - a major milestone towards a Pilot's licence. Despite the financial and transport challenges, with a regular tro-tro journey to Kpong, Ernest Akoto will now need to continue his journey in order to perfect solo flight operations and solo cross-country flying before being issued his National Pilots Licence for light two seat aircraft flying. We all wish Ernest success in his flying adventure, and thank him for proving that 'those who perservere really can, and do, succeed'. Photo courtesy of WAASPS Ltd. http://www.waasps.com/

May 21st, 2012

Fresh Air Matters... with Capt. Yaw

Three years ago I wrote an article entitled ‘How many people can you fit in a tro-tro?’, which we all know is ‘one more, one more, one more’. It is an amazing realisation of living in West Africa – the amount of things that can be crammed in!

Take the charcoal trucks – they are so loaded that they increase the trucks size by 100% in all directions! The same was true for the East-West trucks that would get stuck under the motorway bridges – but since they took the bridges down and put the new toll booths in, we are deprived of the sight of a top-sliced load. We see school taxis, without seatbelts, with twelve children in a car for five. Consider the consequences if there is an accident with the buses with fifty-two seats and over seventy children on board.

There is the other side of the coin… ‘How many wheel nuts can you drive without?’ to which the fitter replies ‘one less, one less, one less’…

Fortunately, in aviation we are more ‘constrained’. The number of seats is the number of people that can fly. I have been asked if two children can share a seat – to which the answer is an emphatic ‘NO!’ We know the limits. How fast can we go? That is a given number specific to each aircraft called the VNE – (Speed Never to Exceed), and if any pilot is stupid enough to exceed that figure, he is unlikely to ever tell you – or anybody – if we can find their body that is.

Limits are necessary – speed limits, passenger limits, time limits, maintenance interval limits, etc. They all have a place.

There are a couple of other things that seem limitless these days.

Price increases: I am amazed at the ability of prices to jump without explanation. It can’t all be down to fuel prices or the dollar exchange rate – it seems that, rather like the tro-tro, ‘one more increase’ seems to be in vogue.

Things breaking: Recently we have had ALL of our field mowers decide to have nervous breakdowns. One actually ‘died’ and may its gearbox R.I.P. (Rest In Pieces). I have never seen a gearbox self-destruct so magnificently. OK, so the mower was very old. We will keep some of the parts ‘for transplants’ to other equipment, as is essential in a country where our manufacturing base is ‘light-weight’ (to put it mildly) in these things. Another mower with ‘life-time’ out-rigger wheels decided ‘life-time is up!’. It is absolutely amazing how things can break – without abuse, despite maintenance, with all the loving care you can give – they still seem to break more here than in the temperate regions. So, the welding kit comes out and some ‘make-shift-out-rigger-solutions’ are made – and a few other items that need changed get attacked too. I have never seen so many bolts snap as they do here – perhaps the poorer quality bolts are used on items, being sent to West Africa, by some manufacturers. One hand mower, an industrial one of robust, South African, construction decided that it would ‘auto-snap’ the main handle spar – and of course it did it as far away from the workshops as possible – and on a 100acre site that is a long way to drag an industrial hand-mower.

So, sitting with a few cuts and some singed hairs on my arms, from co-ordinating the surgery on the ‘patients’ in the workshop this week, I am more resolute in my conviction that ‘a country’s economic strength, and future, lies in its manufacturing base’. Without manufacturing, a country lacks skills, equipment, solutions, jobs and will always bleed foreign currency. Oil and Gold are nice – but manufacturing is the nicest. Manufacturing is special, and is an essential part of long-term economic sustainability. The strength that comes from making things is a foundation block of a solid future, as has been proved around the world. Each ‘successful’ nation has a strong industrial base. Take each one you can thing of and consider ‘what do/did they make?’

It is easy to say ‘but we don’t have the infrastructure for manufacturing’. That is not true. Look back at the industrial revolution in Europe – they had fewer infrastructural strands then, than we do today.

Do we lack resolve, determination and imagination? I have seen many with the imagination, and we have some great thinkers. The challenges and obstacles to success are many – and especially when things keep on breaking! Nonetheless, there is no reason why we cannot become a manufacturing nation – provided that:

• a) Government does not try to ‘create its own industrialisation’ – Nationalised industry is dead. It has had its day. Private sector needs to drive industry – beyond the political cycles – where innovation is rewarded, not bled. 
• b) Administrative systems that allow and encourage private sector industrialisation – it is important to enable ease of importation of goods for transformation or ‘non-locally produced items’ to be imported swiftly and without onerous charges, taxes and delays. 
• c) Land tenure must be resolved – without it, only the ‘die-hards’ will take on land and build and develop the site. Land disputes are so, so disruptive, and distract from the work in hand. It seems that land-litigation is the distractive and disruptive evil that has destroyed so many projects – and it is time that it stops. 
• d) Banking systems need to change – in the ‘developed’ nations you can borrow money at less than 10% APR for many projects – quickly, easily and on long term repayments. Here any APR below 50% for an industrial project is a bonus. Any rate over 15% APR for a loan makes no sense for a long term industrial project. As one banker told me, just one hour before her comment led me to close my account, ‘Banks in Ghana prefer to lend to traders.’  
• e) Vocational Education has to be given its place – I mean REAL vocational training. Academic training is cool but we really need more hands-on-skills training. Polytechnics and specialist training that teach the real, needed, skills of today. We need to reverse the growing skills shortage, and fast.

Is it possible? Well, for the past seven years we have been building aircraft in Ghana, slowly increasing our potential and level of build. These aircraft have carried out many training, humanitarian, photographic, survey and other flights – over 20,000 safe and effective, accident free movements. Unlike mowers and cars, our aircraft do not give us major issues BECAUSE we maintain well, and we keep good stocks of service parts as well as being able to make or finish many of the airframe parts here. We would like to expand that production to other areas, creating jobs and securing the revenue streams that support our social outreach programmes.

Would you pay more for a ‘Made in Ghana’ machine or part, if the replacement parts with accurate repeatability were there, and local, technical support would ensure a longer service life? Let me know… perhaps we can change the status quo and reduce the number of dead or dying machines in the country. May they no longer Rest In Pieces.

Capt. Yaw is Chief Flying Instructor and Chief Engineer at WAASPS, and lead Pilot with Medicine on the Move, Humanitarian Aviation Logistics (http://www.waasps.com/ http://www.medicineonthemove.org/ e-mail capt.yaw@waasps.com)

Photo of the week, May 16th 2012

The Yam Market at Akosombo currently occurs within the Port, pending equipment availability and rehabilitation of the traditional site. Yam transport on the lake provides many jobs for Rural Ghanaians and is essential to the rural economy of the Volta Basin. Buying a Yam today could be your way of supporting a rural child in school, boosting the rural economy and helping those you have never met. We all need to consider our food choices and realise that buying imported foodstuffs actually damages our rural economy and the future of our children. Just think, when you eat locally produced food you are building the future of Ghana. Photo Courtesy of Medicine on the Move http://www.medicineonthemove.org/

May 14th, 2012

Fresh Air Matters... with Capt. Yaw

Rather like the leap-year, this year has that extra day in it that moves everything out of place a bit (ok, a lot). Yes, this year is an election year, not just in Ghana but in the USA and a few other countries too.

The question will always be asked ‘is democracy really a good system?’, and the answer will, as far as I can see, always be, ‘No, but we don’t have a better one!’

In an aircraft, once the wheels leave contact with the ground the pilot is on their own. She becomes president, judge, jury and head of police on the planet called ‘Theplane’. She is the one with the responsibility to ensure safety and a correct path for all on board. She is entrusted with the lives and wellbeing of all on her ‘planet’. Citizens of Theplane put complete trust into her, even though they have never met her. She works tirelessly for the successful completion of her ‘term in office’, without ever having met more than a small percentage of the inhabitants of Theplane.

When there is a need to deviate from the course, she will make the decision, with the help of the co- or Vice-pilot. Together they will steer the course of the Theplane towards its desired endpoint. They will work to ensure that there are no conflicts nor collisions, for such a course of action would threaten the wellbeing of the citizens of Theplane.

At the end of the journey, and the wheels touch-down at the destination, the President hands over authority, expecting not even a single ‘thank-you’ for having carried the citizens past the storms, over the seas and mountains, safely to their desired place. She will simply sit in her ‘Office’ and complete the paperwork, walking quietly away, unrecognised. Of course, like all in such a position, she hopes that she will be back in the chair, but accepts that it may not happen.

The bliss of safe aviation is based on the principles of competence, trust and ability, and long may it last.

Now, imagine for a moment the ‘democratic airline’.

Passengers are asked to vote for their ‘Pilot’, they are shown the pilots ‘C.V.s’, photos and, of course, their manifestos.

Pilot A is handsome and single. Has a house in the city, and a cat. Handing out flags with his face on, he offers all passengers on his flight extra champagne, if he is elected to be the pilot.

Pilot B is a little older, but still considered handsome by the ladies. He has two homes, one near the beach and one in the mountains. As he kisses all the babies in the room on the top of their heads, Pilot B offers that he will ensure the latest movies on-board, free champagne and that they will all get a $100 refund at the end of the flight.

Pilot C is slight in build. She does not say much. Offering nothing more than to sit up the front, take the controls and ensure a safe term in office. She offers no balloons, no pins, no flags; she does not kiss any children. She only offers her skills – with no demands for herself other than to be in the same boat (or on the same plane) as the voters.

Of course, this scenario leads to a natural selection, when reading, but out there in the terminal we have people who may see the concept of movies, free champagne and a $100 refund more than tempting. My guess is that B would probably win, and so we will join ‘B’ aboard his flight.

Walking up and down the aisles, Captain B is busy thanking the citizens of Theplane for voting for him. The clamour of hands thrust out wildly to shake his hand or just to touch him. Several ask about when they will get their $100… Avoiding the questions, now that he is elected, he moves to the cockpit and closes the door.

As the aircraft climbs out, the demand for champagne rockets, and soon all the supplies are gone. There is an uprising in the cabin. The captain, true to his word, arranges for a detour to land and purchase more champagne. The people are happy. This is the man they voted for.

Then as they depart from their champagne shopping stop, the In Flight Entertainment (IFE) system fails. (What the citizens of Theplane are unaware of is that, in order to purchase more champagne, they sold the videos from the IFE). Undaunted, Captain B comes on the intercom and declares ‘We apologise for the loss of your favourite movies, but these things are beyond my control. It is a world-wide phenomenon, and we will work hard to make them come back before we land.’ Placated, the people sit back and chat, whilst some children play chase around the Galley.

One of the crew sternly warns the children that ‘playing near the Galley is dangerous.’ This creates a ripple in the passengers, and a near riot breaks out. Captain B leaves the cockpit and comes back to calm the people. Hearing the problem, he asks that a vote be taken as to whether ‘the children should be allowed to play chase around the Galley’. 60% of the passengers think it is OK. So, the crew are told ‘let them play’, this a democracy. 40% of the passengers complain openly.

As B returns to the left seat, turbulence tosses the plane from left to right and back again. One child, running around, falls and hits his head, the blood seeping across the emergency lighting.

Once the plane is stable, B comes back again and asks ‘what is the matter?’ the bleeding child is brought to him and he is informed that it is his fault. Captain B protests and asks all those who voted for ‘children can play’ to raise their hands…. No hands rise. Clearly, nobody had ever voted for that. Captain B already realises that he has bigger problem on his hands.

In the cockpit the fuel is getting low, and the plane won’t reach the promised destination, in fact, it looks like it will be a forced-landing in the desert. If only he had not deviated for the Champagne early on in the flight… if only he had focused on flying the plane, not just placating the people.

Skidding through the desert sands, the plane tips onto one wing and stops. The people slide out down the yellow chutes. ‘Where is my $100?’ ask some. ‘Why are we not at our destination?’ ask others. Some, sadly, did not survive the forced landing. It is hard to find anyone who is satisfied, and harder still to find even one who voted for ‘Captain B’.

Those seeking high office (and there is none ‘higher’ than being in the air), should not be swayed by the desires of the people, but rather by the needs of the people. Those who vote, in any sort of election, should be careful of what (and whom) they wish for, because getting your short-term wish granted may well mean sacrificing your long-term goal.

Capt. Yaw is Chief Flying Instructor and Chief Engineer at WAASPS, and lead Pilot with Medicine on the Move, Humanitarian Aviation Logistics (www.waasps.com www.medicineonthemove.org e-mail capt.yaw@waasps.com)

Photo of the week, May 9th 2012

Adome bridge really is a beautiful sight. The Volta flows swiftly between the two dams, under the arch way, reflected resplendently. The tilapia fish farmers nets provided with fresh flowing water; the communities along the banks thriving by the metal monument that is one of Ghana's well known landmarks. We have so much to be proud of in Ghana, and so much to see. Of course, we believe that seeing it from the air is the best way... You too can take a trial flight from Kpong Airfield to see the beauty of Adome Bridge, with WAASPS Flight Training School, just 20km south of Adome bridge near Akuse Junction. Photo Courtesy of WAASPS Ltd www.waasps.com 028 5075254

May 7th, 2012

Fresh Air Matters... with Capt. Yaw

Perhaps one of the most challenging, and most rewarding, jobs that I have ever done is that of teaching people to fly.

Taking somebody from that initial moment of ‘desire’ to actually being in the air; that moment when they leave the chains of earth behind as they step into the cockpit; the hesitant placing of their hands upon the controls; the phase-shift towards being a flyer. It really is the most amazing, indescribably beautiful thing.

Many of you have seen the rural young ladies I train on TV, or heard them on radio. Patricia Mawuli Nyekodzi has been featured on several continents for her inspirational achievements and Lydia Wetsi for her efforts to overcome a disability in order to work towards her ambition to take health education to the rural communities. Both of these young women are the tip of an iceberg of potential, and training them has plenty of tears – both of joy and of woe. 

There are many other people that we train (from 14yrs – late 60’s) through the regular flying school at Kpong, and one of them has impressed me so much that I want to share his story with you today.

Ernest has a small shop in an Ashaiman market. He repairs mobile telephones. Ernest is a ‘sole trader’, a quiet, unassuming young man. Slender built, in fact a bit too slender – he could do with some extra carbohydrates and protein!

Ernest first came to the airfield about three years ago. He came quietly and asked to do a trial flight. He was not the most comfortable person we have ever had on a trial flight. In fact, the shake in his hands and trepidation in his voice belied a lack of confidence on that first flight.

Over time he would collect some small monies, arrive at the airfield, place the money on the table and ask ‘How many minutes can I fly for?’ It was a tough call; knowing that you are taking this chaps really hard earned cash – spending a week or more of his money in a matter of minutes in the cockpit.

We started by keeping the lessons short. He did not have enough funds to take long lessons, and so, I would often do the checks for him, and get the plane in the air as soon as possible, to maximise his ‘air-time’.

Over the years he has built up his business, possibly, in part, because of his passion to learn to fly, and the associated need to pay his fees. Not only has he grown his business, he has grown as a person.

Three years ago he would arrive like a shadow. Quietly, head down, inconspicuous, barely speaking a word. Over the time of his lessons, he has learned to stand up straighter, to speak louder and with more confidence. He passed his written exam with 100%. Not bad for a student who was unable to complete formal education. But it has not all been a bed of roses.

Last year there was a moment when we discussed ‘is it fair to keep to taking Ernest’s money?’ Progress was not swift. Partly, this was due to his irregularities, incurred by lack of finances.

We had a chat about increasing his frequency so as to maximise his progress. We worked out some support, from where we could, in relation to some of his charges, but support funds are limited. He was the one that made the effort – he, himself, increased his economic outputs to meet his desires. Ernest started a weekly lesson.

Ernest was never a quick ‘reactor’. His time to react to questions or situations was one of reflect, consider, decide and then act – in sequence, over time. Ernest could fly the plane easily, provided everything went right. Then, as we added emergencies, we had our ‘issues’.

We would be climbing out of the grass runway at Kpong, and as an instructors does, I would pull back the power and call ‘Engine Failure. Engine Failure. Engine Failure.’ My anticipation is for an IMMEDIATE response to save the aircraft and crew. We tried it, time and time again. Each time, as the aircraft went from 100% in the green, through to many shades of yellow, orange, and finally to the ‘Red-zone’, speed decreasing, aircraft losing height, trees growing in the windshield, finally, with less than a hairsbreadth left before it would be too late, I would come back on the controls, recover the aircraft and return it to him with ‘You have control.’

Together we looked the grim reaper in the face. Ernest’s time of consideration would determine whether we would shake hands with our maker or not. My role, as an instructor and friend, is to ensure that the veil remained closed. Firmly closed.

After one particular session like this, we sat in the de-briefing room and went through the ‘mistakes’, ‘lack of decisions’ and moments of adding more grey to my beard; his eyes filled. As a colleague asked what happened in his lesson. He replied ‘I got it wrong today. I should have been faster with my decision making’ and the hydraulic fluid containment attempts by his optical units failed, and he sprang a silent leak down his face.

That was probably the most positive moment in the training of Ernest. He started to realise that flying was more than just being in the plane. Flying is about your life. Flying is about your personality. Flying is about feeling a decision, naturally, fluidly, rapidly and 100% correctly – every time. We talked and shared about how our everyday lives need to change in order to ensure safety and success in the cockpit.

Ernest started to think and act differently and, as the weeks passed, his hard earned cash continued burning in the Rotax engine that dragged him through the sky. Gradually, but with a marked paced he improved each manoeuvre, he improved each decision. He gained personal confidence and stepped up to the mark that we call ‘being a pilot’. I have often said ‘Anybody can fly a plane, but it takes a special person to be a pilot. Somebody who can handle the situation and take the responsibility – in the blinking of an eye.’

Ernest is now within a lesson or two, weather permitting, of making solo. It has taken a long time. He has made a lot of efforts, finances and sacrifices. He has shown me that he is a young man with determination, patience and the ability to change at every level.

Ernest tells me he would like to work with an airline, not necessarily as pilot, but just to be around the aircraft. He deserves it. He has the makings of somebody who, given the right environment, will succeed. He will always have a ‘quiet demeanour’, that is him.

I am proud to able to teach Ernest, and I would love to see somebody support his flying passion by giving him a well-paid job, and thus enabling him to complete his National Pilots Licence, and more, exploring the skies… leaving his nest of terrestrial security and finding a home in the lower atmosphere. Well done Ernest, I and many others are very proud of you!

Capt. Yaw is Chief Flying Instructor and Chief Engineer at WAASPS, and lead Pilot with Medicine on the Move, Humanitarian Aviation Logistics (www.waasps.com www.medicineonthemove.org e-mail capt.yaw@waasps.com)

Photo of the week, may 2nd 2012

Many people in Ghana live and work far from access roads, power and clean water supplies. These same people are working hard to farm the lands around them, generally using only light hand tools, with no irrigation systems. At times we fly over and can barely spot the homesteads; their presence only divulged by the hand worked fields that surround these abodes. We must ask ourselves 'If they achieve so much with so little, how much more could they achieve if given some opportunities and support?' We will only know when they are given such support, but it would appear that they are people worth investing in - and that the return on investment would be of a higher than usual rate! Photo Courtesy of Medicine on the Move (www.medicineonthemove.org)