Back Home in Kpong and Getting to Know the Fulani’s

Submitted by Erin Nolan

The 10 day road trip came to an end after a scenic and uneventful 8 hour drive from Techiman back to Kpong. It was approximately 450 km back to the airfield and it was decided to side step Kumasi to avoid being stuck in traffic. This route allowed us to enjoy the view of the rolling hills, valleys, and different views of the lake. Ghana is a very beautiful country with so much potential but it wasn’t hard to notice that the flood waters from the previous rainy season didn’t recede to normal levels as of yet. I have a feeling this tower wasn’t built in the water like this picture depicts.

Worth someone’s concern? Maybe? What will happen during the next rainy season?

 The route took us through basically “good road” we even hit a stretch of ”brand new road” and we all arrived in one piece and by some miracle the car still had all major parts intact. It was a relief to know we made it back to our destination but my instincts tell me our vehicle issues are far from over.

The next few weeks everyone’s focus was on three main goals; completing the roof on the Fulani Camp School, projects in the workshop, and getting ready for Fly Me Day. 

The Fulani’s are a nomadic tribe who settled very close to the farm house. We passed them every day to and from the airfield. Mathew has become very close to them and tries his best to provide guidance to them with whatever he can. Our first visit was a basic introduction and a chance for me to get an understanding of their way of life. They live completely off the land and handle livestock to make a living. Their children do not go to school and speak their own tribal language. I did find it interesting that one man also spoke French. Mathew explained that he had previously lived in the neighboring country of Burkina Faso where French influence is very high. Made me think of going back to refresh my French because it would have been nice to be able to communicate with him as well as Mathew did. I got a chance to see their homes; their livestock, the frame work of the new school, and meet their women and bright eyed kids.

Our visits were many over the rest of my stay. While we were on our road trip Mathew had taken one of the Fulani girls to the hospital for a bad infection in her hand and index finger. After looking in on her we saw that she needed follow up medical care.

We came by two days later with nurse Lydia from VRA.  She spoke to mostly the women of the tribe and tried to explain the importance of hygiene and getting medical attention. She also discussed the benefits of seeing the doctor so something simple doesn’t turn into a major health concern. Proper nutrition and the soon to be built school were also big topics of the day.

I took the older kids aside to give everyone a chance to talk without the kids distracting the women from the important discussion. I learned they already knew some English words like eye, nose, ear and mouth. So I jumped into the tough ones like arm, elbow, finger, hand, and stomach. I haven’t had too much experience teaching little kids but I’m hoping they couldn’t tell!

These kids hang on every word and are really starving for knowledge. They are so smart and just need someone to take the time to teach them the basics. I am also beginning to notice that the women are the ones taking care of everything. It seems most of the men enjoy their afternoon under the shaded tree while the women are working extremely hard on all the major chores.

Looks like Nurse Lydia is giving them a piece of her mind! I have to admit I enjoyed knowing she wasn’t happy either.

Our next visit was the day the roof was completed on the Fulani school. Cindy the Av Tech English teacher will be spending one day a week in the Fulani school once it is completed and Rex and Melissa had arrived and came along on the visit as well. Mr. Solo and Benard went to work while we all hung out with kids. Cindy sang songs with them, Rex and Melissa were taking photos and entertaining the kids and I tried to get them to write their ABC’s.

By the end of the day the roof was complete and soon all of the kids will have a place to start their education.

As you can see this little one’s finger is really in need of some medical attention.

 Since there had been no improvement Mathew decided it was time to make sure she got back to the doctor. He spent almost an entire day at the hospital and after an x-ray it was determined that her finger was both broken and infected.

This is just one girl in a huge country and there are so many people all over Ghana who could benefit from MOM’s services. She is lucky because she is close to a hospital and had a kind soul like Mathew to give the family some direction. Twice a day for the next week he stopped in to make sure she got the correct medicine and dosage at the correct time. These visits for me were a huge eye opener of how much something like MOM can change their lives.

I can’t wait to see how these kids do in school and maybe one day get to say to them how happy I was to meet them and share their way of life.

Spending Time with Techiman's Aviation Club

Submitted by Erin Nolan

The next two days were spent with the aviation club at the Ayi-Owen school in Techiman. They gave us such a warm welcome and it was special to see they already established an aviation club. The club meets as a group ranging in age from 9-13 and they have taken on the responsibility of helping keep the airfield clean and safe for future operations. We got started right away and asked the class about the four forces of flight. Hands were raised immediately and each child that was called on gave the correct answer. Wow! I was so impressed by the excitement and knowledge of this group of kids.

Jonathan’s next lesson was on the four stages of the combustion engine. Once again I am wondering how he will get these difficult theories across to the group. But I should know better by this point because in minutes they were hanging on every word. He described Intake-Compression-Combustion-and Exhaust. The AV-Tech Academy girls and Jonathan had the entire group Breathing In-Squeezing-Exploding- then Breathing Out! 

The smiles on all their faces were priceless. I will never forget the energy and special feeling of being a part of the activities in the class room that day. The next demonstration described the different parts in an engine including the cylinders and the pistons and the sequence of cylinder operation.

The discussion starts with a brief description of the principle followed by active participation. Active learning seems to really sink in to these kids because not only are they learning they are having fun! 

Ask yourself how many times have you seen smiles and laughter like that in a classroom anywhere in the world?  Girls make excellent propellers don’t they? I wish my education included these types of demonstrations because it really sinks in without trying too hard.

I have to admit this is tough to write about because I think the pictures say it all.

This was a tough act to follow but Patricia and I were up next. I introduced myself and did my best in explaining how helicopters fly and how we use aviation in law enforcement while Patricia intrigued them with her story of being born, raised, and trained in Ghana. I believe it truly means more to them to hear Patricia’s story because they can see themselves in her. She gives them hope of achieving their dreams and makes it real for all of them!

The next day’s session we took all the students outside for a demonstration on Air Traffic Control. The relationship between pilots and air traffic controllers was discussed then demonstrated by blindfolding the student pilot and having them trust instructions given by a friend to keep them safe from crashing into each other or obstacles.  

I can’t say it enough, this type of teaching in extraordinary!  We were all having a great time together.

The visit wasn’t over yet our next stop was a meeting with the local tribal Chiefs who have rights to the land where the airfield is located in Techiman. We went to discuss options for use and proper maintenance of the field to ensure safe future operations. They expressed interest in supporting new ideas and want to do what they can to encourage the growth of aviation in their area. They made sure to tell us how proud they are of Juliet who is one of their own and who is working hard in the AV-Tech academy to possibly return as their very own local pilot!(I am so proud of you too!!!)

 I had the pleasure to meet Juliet’s parents while in Techiman. Her mother and sister work in the local market and her father is a farmer. He graciously brought us some of his prized crops to taste and his face was beaming with pride for his daughter. I made sure to express my good thoughts and praised Juliet for all her hard work as well.

Our final stop was a visit to the monkey sanctuary. I wasn’t sure what to expect but once we arrived our guide jumped in our car and took us to the entrance point. We began to walk down a path in the forest when he said we should get some bananas and nuts to feed the monkeys. Once we had the food the monkeys came out from everywhere. They would get right up close and eat from our hands. Each part of the forest had another family and at each stop they came right to all of us. What a treat to be so close to these creatures. I was amazed by their lack of fear and trust of us. It turns out these monkeys are a real part of the history and are both protected and respected by the local community.

This was another event that brought huge smiles to all of us.  It is an amazing feeling to share these first time experiences together.

When the tour was finished we came across some kids in the surrounding community giving me another reminder of all the people who could be reached with aviation. Aviation could provide the influx of educators, health professionals and economic development in all regions of the country.

Traveling to Techiman

Submitted by Erin Nolan

We started out the next journey knowing we had a rough travel day ahead. Our vehicle issues were not over yet. Over the weekend we realized our fuel gauge was the latest victim. We monitored our distance very close and we started out very early in order to make it before the afternoon heat set in. As the sun began to rise we came up on an accident that wasn’t there when we drove to Mole and its contents were still on the street indicating it wasn't long since it happened.

Just another indication that the infrastructure is in bad need of repair and that aviation would only benefit everyone around this great country. We continued along this tough stretch of road and It saddens me to report that my liver was nowhere in sight and I actually think this road got the best of me again by stealing a kidney on the last bounce out onto tarmac road! On the brighter side we knew the worst of the roads were behind us and we SHOULD only see tarmac roads on the rest of our trip. Along our route we stopped to see the Kintampo Falls, another beautiful natural treasure that Ghana has to offer. I give a warning though, the washroom looked like a crime scene I am 100% sure that no one has stepped a foot in there to clean in years. It seems our entry fees aren’t going to good use and a clean tree and baby wipes were again my savior!

There were different stages to the falls so the guide walked us through all three stages from bottom to top.

It seemed this tour was very strenuous on our guide because as we were walking out the gate he was taking his post under a tree for an afternoon nap.

After 285km of dodging one pot hole after another along the “tarmac” road we arrived in Techiman without disaster just a little sweat. Our first stop was at the Owen School to plan for our activities in the morning. This place is special for Juliet she used to be a student here and was chosen from a previous fly-me day back at the airfield. Juliet was so happy to be visiting her family and friends and had a smile on her face for the entire visit.

Our accommodations were generously offered to us by Bill Owen and his wife Ayisatu. They were kind enough to have us all in their home for the next three nights. I immediately noticed that their home was no ordinary home. I guess I would describe it as a compound because not only did they have a house, but children they have taken in who don’t have any support, and an entire school all within the walls of their home. Bill was out of town so I had the pleasure of spending time with his thoughtful and caring wife. She made our stay comfortable and I was impressed by her strength and dedication to her community.

Rough Roads Begin- Next Stop---- Tamale

Submitted by Erin Nolan

We left very early to get on the road to Tamale. I didn’t need an alarm clock because the sound of the early morning Muslim prayer was enough to get me up and moving before the sunrise.  As everyone piled in the car I was sad to leave these great kids but knew our adventure was far from over.  As soon as we left town, the roads were a complete disaster.  The roads are all made from dirt, there were huge pot holes every few feet, and are badly corrugated.  I have never seen a corrugated road before and driving on one feels like you’re constantly driving over tiny speed bumps and it never stops until you hit another pot hole.  Every single second the car is on the road it is literally being destroyed.

   

I couldn’t believe just after a short drive north how much the scenery changed.  The dirt started to get darker in color and it reminded me of a clay tennis court, the communities started to get further and further away from each other, and people would just appear out of nowhere and would be walking along the road side.  Everyone here lives on the land, no electricity, their houses are made from mud, water must be fetched if they are not lucky enough to have a bore hole and pump nearby, farm all the food they eat, and carry everything on top of their heads.  I was so impressed by how much these women can carry. 

It took us over seven hours to travel approximately 200km due to the conditions on the road.  About three hours into our drive the AC decided it was taking the rest of the day off, trying to get some ventilation we opened the windows and the dry dust filled the car.  It was up my nose on my clothes and literally all over everything.  But it was a choice; suffer from the heat or the dust, my choice being dust.  A few hours later we realized the car had a flat tire and the girls sprung into action again.  The car was pulled over to the side of the road and the girls placed hazard markers on the road to alert the crazy drivers that we were in distress ahead.  It wasn’t like a highway or anything but from time to time an overloaded truck, crazy Tro Tro, or just someone in a 4x4 would scream past us with no regard.  Another talent that Patricia has that I do not is that she isn’t afraid to change a tire right on the spot.   A few local men did come out to give us a hand which was a help when we noticed the jack needed an extra lift in order to get the car up high enough to change the tire. The car was chocked with rocks to keep it from rolling and the local men brought us some wood to put under the jack and Patricia went to work. I took this opportunity to find a clean tree to take care of my necessities because I didn’t see any rest stops along the way, the girls joined me near their own private tree, and again my baby wipes came in very handy.

Another awesome job done by Patricia because some how she remained clean even in this harsh environment.  As we continued bumping along the roads the conditions never improved they only got worse, at times we had to get out of the vehicle and walk ahead in order for the car to pass some sections of the road.  The extra weight of us 7 and our bags were just too much for the car to handle when it was facing a crater in the road.  To be able to make this journey without incident you really need a high sitting truck with huge tires or wait I just had a thought, what about an airplane?

As we were three quarters through our journey I began to question our fuel situation.  I hadn’t seen one suitable filling station along the way and was curious what we would do if we ran out of fuel.  I was told not to worry calculations were on track and we should make it to Tamale before we need to refuel.  As we continued along, the roads were just so awful that the dust was seeping through every opening in the car every time we bumped along.  It was coming in through the vents and even up from the floor boards, I have never seen anything like it before.  I am beginning to understand why Jonathan insisted on having the AC fixed prior to our departure, and I feel bad for all of us that it didn’t hold out.  Our last half hour before making it to Tamale the fuel became critical.  There was not a fuel station in sight and we still had some distance to travel, Jonathan began to economize by turning off the engine to coast downhill and would restart in order to make it uphill.  I was very concerned about the fuel and what would happen if we got stuck.  We were far from home and no one for miles that could come and help us.  Jonathan continued to reassure me that any local person would be happy to take care of us until we solved our situation.  Well luckily enough the fuel was just enough to coast into the first fueling station in Tamale. What a relief, we filled up and set off to find a place to stay.

 Everyone was exhausted and we really didn’t have a plan for the night so we ventured into ask some people working in a water authority building hoping they could direct us to a clean and safe place to stay for the night.  We piled out of the car and guess what? We had another flat tire!  Here we go again I thought, I couldn’t believe it.  Thank goodness Jonathan brought along 2 extra tires and a small air compressor in addition to the spare.  Patricia and the girls did it all over again and we were on our way but now had 2 bad tires in the back and a really dirty car.  We found the local tire guy and dropped off the tires for repair, I still can’t believe the over abundance of tire repair guys all over the country!   Our accommodations for the night were pleasant and clean we had running water and again an added bonus of AC.  Can you believe that the dust actually penetrated either the zipper or the fabric and made it through my backpack and on my clothes? Unreal I still don’t believe it!

Our next challenge was to track down safe food to eat. Tamale is the 4th largest city in Ghana, and you could immediately tell by the amount of people everywhere.  People were on bikes, scooters, cars and on foot, I realized this is the second time I had seen any traffic lights and thank goodness for them.  We were trying to find a Chinese restaurant in the area because it seemed that was the safest food to eat and I was sure to find something I could eat too but we began to all laugh hysterically when we keep driving around in circles and weren’t able to find it and kept missing the turn to turn around.  We were all hungry, tired and very silly.  We eventually found it but when we walked in it was empty and not very nice the concern came back and when the young boy turned on the AC the lights went out so we decided to leave.  Good choice because we stumbled upon a very nice place on a side road just by luck.  It was the Gariba Lodge which was a hotel that was still being built and it turned out that the owner had seen Patricia on TV and knew all about her being a Ghanaian pilot.  How lucky was that? We all had a great meal and an enjoyable conversation.  

Kete Krachi Here We Come

Submitted by Erin Nolan

As we headed out I was so looking forward to the day because I couldn’t help thinking how are we are going to communicate aviation theories to kids who may or may not have even learned about anything like this before. But my hat is off to Jonathan because he really knows how to take information that some deem difficult and make it easy to understand for both youngsters and kids who may be completely new to all of this. The kids broke up their desks and immediately were being reviewed. 

Selected kids will be a part of the Fly-Me day in March where 100 kids get to take their first flight so all of the kids are being actively observed and will be selected to participate in this upcoming event! For instance who picked up the trash that was left behind when moving the desks, who challenged statements and questions like which is bigger Africa or the United States, answers to certain questions like how does an airplane fly, and who answered the aviation homework assignment correctly. The best part of the day was when we discussed the four forces of flight. As I already mentioned Jonathan is amazing when it comes to relating to young people and trying to get a difficult principle across so we used active participation to encourage both excitement and learning.

After discussing Lift, Thrust, Weight, and Drag the kids demonstrated these principles simulating a chair as a plane with each student acting like a force accordingly. This was the coolest way to teach aerodynamics I have ever seen!

Oh and then I had to do the same and relate it to a helicopter! Not easy especially for the young man who was chosen to be the rotor and had to keep spinning around. And the girls who had to try and pick me up as the pilot had it rough too.

The excitement continued when friction was discussed and the kids were told to rub their hands together and explain how they felt. Most said hot, then they were asked to put a drop of engine oil in their hands and do the same thing and they said it was still warm but easier to do. Wow! now that is a sure way to explain friction and heat and why oil helps. I honestly have to say I would have never thought to use that technique… bravo!

The best part of the day is when Patricia speaks to the group. Not only is she articulate and captivating but everyone in the room can relate to her. It makes everyone feel like they too can learn aviation and become a pilot or an engineer. You can see it on their faces when she says she was born, raised, and trained in Ghana.

Some more discussion continued and a condition called bilhazia was brought up asking if anyone was experiencing symptoms. It is an issue because we were in a community that resides along the lake and this condition stems from being in infected waters. A few kids admitted to having symptoms and were told how to handle the sickness.This never was a determining factor on how kids were selected. Actually a youngster who was selected to fly was possibly infected and will be given care upon arrival. 20 kids were selected for the fly-me day and unfortunately their picture had to be taken in addition to other pertinent information to ensure the same students who were selected show up for the event.

 Oh and by the way I will be watching these two girls during the fly-me even, they have been actively involved all day and have displayed so much interest and excitement.

Our next stop of the day was a visit to the Kete Krachi airfield. It seems to be in decent shape needing only minor repairs to get it up and running again. It would be a real resource to the community and everyone involved seemed interested and positive about getting it up and running. I was really surprised when I learned they already have their own active weather office still located at the airfield. Could you imagine if a child that is involved in the fly me day one day flies back into their own community via an airplane built in Ghana?  How many more kids would be inspired by that type of event?

Our last stop of the day was back at the ferry port to give a safety briefing to port employees and local fisherman that work on the water near the port. Focus was on safety of everyone around the port and what the local fisherman can to do to help keep the local waters clean for themselves and accessible for future water landings on the lake. 

All of the attendees were appreciative of all the information and suggestions that were given and I found out today they were extremely impressed by Patricia and would like her to return for future briefing at other ferry ports.Funny thing I am so impressed by her as well!