Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
We'd already cleared 450 metres of the Ampasinambo runway there was still 100
metres to go. If only there would not be that enormous hill in the way! Digging and
levelling were on the schedule. But within six weeks of labouring, with support from
local workers and two excavators, we finished the 15-metre-wide airstrip.
It was not just a period of work, but also an unforgettable experience to camp
out in the bush, take showers in a giant waterfall and be woken up before sunrise by
roosters.
Mission Aviation Fellowship is a Christian organisation whose mission is to fly light
aircraft in isolated areas to bring hope and help to people in need. The construction of
airstrips is just one branch of MAF's many services for Madagascar's population.
Beside that, MAF whose motto is 'flying for life', enables the work of many mis-
sions in their outreach by offering them charter flights for example, or the SMS ser-
vice (assisting those in remote areas to know when and where a MAF plane is land-
ing).
Whether it is the repair and maintenance of a car or a special machine, help in ac-
quiring Malagasy papers or the storage of freight or medicines, MAF is not just busy
intheair.Amongitspartners,MAFcountslocalchurches,governmentsandNGOsas
well as mission organisations.
FAMILY PLANNING
Ruth Rosselson
Most visitors to Madagascar will quickly notice just how many children there are.
With an average of around six children per family, it's clear that population growth
is a huge challenge for a country already struggling to conserve its natural resources.
In 2007, Blue Ventures recognised that there was a need to address population growth
for its own conservation goals to have any chance of success.
Instigated by British-based GP, Vik Mohan, the family planning service began by
conducting initial research in the village of Andavadoaka. This found that girls were
having their first sexual experience as young as eight, with many having their first
pregnancy soon after puberty. Some families had up to 16 children, with parents not
always able to provide for such large families. The research also flagged up the diffi-
culty for women who wanted to access family planning clinics as the nearest service
was 50km away. Awareness of sexually transmissible infections was also low, despite
high levels of gonorrhoea and syphilis. The survey discovered that women wished to
bebetterinformedandwantedbetteraccesstocontraception.Thereclearlywasahuge
unmet need for family planning services in Andavadoaka.
