Can't buy it.... no worries we'll make it..

Lydia and Patricia are working on development of a new tool for simplification of production of the drop chute parts and other items needed as we prepare for conditions to improve for drops into the Afram Plains.

If this light folding unit comes out right it may be something that rural communities could implement in light engineering in their developments.

We are always looking at appropriate technology for development and enjoy seeing the changes to people's lives that health and technology, albeit realitively simple, can bring.

Moving forward on all fronts

Our aim is to stimulate long term, sustainable change. It is not an easy path to walk. It is a path full of challenges, dissapointments, dangers, and above all wonderful people, and amazing opportunities. What we do is, however, similar to gold mining. We have to go through a lot of dirt to find the nuggets.

These past few weeks we have been sifting through applications for the AvTech Academy, many from the Afram Plains. Out of it we have offered places to 11 young women to come to Kpong on a 4 year apprenticeship, learning engineering, airfield management, life skills, first aid, EMT like training, and how to improve their own lives, whilst empowering them to become the next generation of movers and shakers in rural developments.

We have come across consistent evidence of poor quality education. These young women have graduated from school, and yet are still lacking in so much basic knowledge. As we train them, and as we drop aerial supply packages of health education to their own villages, we are creating a bond that will provide a life line towards future developments.

We are still on track to drop 1000 packages this year, and are soon going to print 5,000 posters ready for drops. We thank our supporters around the world for joining hands with us as we step up to the plate of reaching the hardest to reach people, and working with them to give them a hand up, and never a hand out!

The right photo may change the world...

Since the next phase of our health outreach is to make some very innovative posters using photographs of people who are inspiration to the people in the rural Ghana. Photographs that puts across punchy messages to these communities about staying away from schistosomiasis.

The young ladies in the academy were very enthusiastic on how we should go about the whole concept. Some role models from the Afram plains were invited to the airfield to participate in the photo shooting session for the new posters for their communities.

Preparing for the Afram Plains...

As we complete the preparations for our 1000 drops into the Afram Plains, Patricia met with Confidence

regarding materials and the target messages.

From the discussion it became clear that our flights are already impacting on young women in the community.

The challenges of poor school attendance and teenage pregnancies appears to be a major concern in the area and one that our efforts are seriously working positively on.

We have decided to produce a special series of drops for the Afram Plains and to use key women who the girls see as role models. It was made clear that Patricia and the girls from Kpong are key role models and they want that personal message.

Our scope of impact is greater than we realised. We will stand up to the plate and work on changing lives hand in hand with the community leaders.

We are still short of funds to complete the drops and ask that anybody wanting to support the drops to the Afram Plains visits our donation pages at..... http://www.medicineonthemove.org/index.php/donate/donate

Thank you.

Flyme day and the Afram plains

Fly Me Day this year focused on the girls from the Afram Plains. VLTC assisted with transport and logistics to get the girls into Kpong Airfield.

50 girls and their support team were flown. Then, once they made their way home we started the first drops of health education materials to these rural places. Patricia flew left seat in our incredible Rotax 912iS powered Ch701 (which we hope to upgrade to a CH750 later this year) and Lydia sat right seat as drop master.

All drops were successful and further runs will commence as soon as funds are available.

Preparing for the Afram Plains

Volunteers at Kpong Airfield learning how to create drop packs for health education.

These packs are amongst the first to be delivered by air to the Afram Plains!

The Afram Plains

During our visit to the Afram Plains we took the opportunity to drop off some walking sticks and crutches to Confidence, the new Medicine on the Move liason person based within the district. Originally given to us by Deso UK in October, have held back items that we felt appropriate for the needs in the remote area of the Afram Plains.

Confidence is full of energy and ideas and will assist with coordination of arial supply drops later in the year.

From Cardboard to plywood.... progress

Moving on from the card template a wooden structure with pattern parts is undertaken. If this works, then work can commence on the 6061T6 sheet metal product, hopefully sometime next week.

A lot of testing will take place with the wooden structure prior to finalising the pod. It is fantastic to have young people from the very rural areas that this and similar projects will benefit involved with this development.

Afram Plains outreach ...

In preparation for the forthcoming Afram Plains outreach in Q2, we are working on building an improved mapping solution aimed primarily at the details which others ignore. We expect to identify several hundred drop sites in the area and to work together with other agencies as we reach places and people with pressing needs in terms of awareness and associated behavioural change.

Here Patricia is considering a forthcoming photo mission into the area using a Google Earth printout. Informed planning is Key to success.

Sadly, the satellite images are out of date and lacking in detail for the needs of a health education drop programme.