Helimission has been partnering with Brillant for at least 15 years now. We do an average of two flight programs a year with him. He is one of only very few who work in the far southeast of Madagascar. The southeast of the country is a difficult and challenging remote […]
Development Aid
10 posts
The year 2020 and 2021 brought many unexpected changes in the lives of many around the world. The lives and work of relief workers have also been greatly affected. Helimission Madagascar was forced to stop all flight operations for many months and could only carry out medical emergency flights. It […]
We were called to a lady in Tangumsili in the bush who was having trouble giving birth, so I immediately had Maichel, our young local pilot, plan the flight for the next morning. I had happened to run into a local doctor who used to fly with Helimission quite often […]
In Switzerland and throughout Europe, we are still doing relatively well during the Covid pandemic. In other parts of the world, people are suffering far more from the lockdowns. In our country, the state helps in many cases with compensation for closed businesses or short-time work. In addition, almost everyone […]
In the western world, the welfare state compensates for the financial consequences of “lock-downs”. In countries like India, Brazil and Indonesia, where millions of people are working as “day laborers,” the consequences of such restrictions are much more drastic. These people have no freezer, no storeroom and no fat savings […]
In Maolagi, in the Paniai District, between Wamena and Nabire, there are employees of a relief organization who completely depend on our helicopter and an MAF fixed-wing airplane. Usually, we fly by helicopter from Wamena directly to the nearest landing strip in Bugalaga. An MAF airplane flies the goods there from the nearest city, because it can carry much heavier loads than the helicopter. The helicopter, on the other hand, is more suited for flying the goods to the villages in short rotations (7 minutes).
After three years of preparation, training and many tests, Maichel, a young pilot from Papua, was finally ready. Just three weeks ago we completed the so-called type rating for our helicopter with him. And now it was time for his first real mission.
Recently, our Malagasy housekeeper showed me pictures of her friend with dismay. She was so emaciated that she was just skin and bones. I was shocked.
My daughter and I recently visited a small, 6-year-old girl. As she has neither a birth certificate nor any other identity papers, she does not officially exist in Madagascar.
Shortly before Christmas, our children and their teacher prepared a small performance for the children at the garbage dump. They rehearsed for weeks to bring these poor children some Christmas joy.
