MAF Youth Magazine #27 by MAF UK

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MAF Pilot Phil Henderson flying the dama gazelle

Saving a species

from extinction The dama gazelle is one of the planet’s most endangered species, with fewer than 100 animals still living in the wild, widely scattered across isolated populations in Chad and the bordering country of Niger. Dama gazelles are particularly vulnerable to poaching. Because the use of automatic weapons and vehicles has increased across the Sahara, it’s extremely rare to spot them in the wild anymore. Their wild habitat has also been increasingly occupied by humans whose livestock use the land for grazing, pushing the wildlife away. As a result, the population has been dwindling, with the possibility of the species becoming extinct. In January 2021, MAF was approached by the Sahara Conservation Fund (SCF) which monitors the tiny remaining populations of dama gazelles. They do this by tracking some of the endangered animals and moving them to a reserve, where they can breed safely.

What difference can a plane make? According to Henry Bailey, conservationist and former SCF project director, ‘MAF can perform aerial wildlife counts for us, which involve flying at quite low levels, so measurements and observations can be made. We do these every two years, which helps us measure the success of our conservation efforts. ‘Similarly, aircraft are invaluable in the case of emergencies such as bushfires. When you have a plane, you can move quickly to see where the fires are and how they are progressing, so you can coordinate the different teams to tackle them. A plane

can also help combat wildlife poaching and trafficking, with observers spotting issues and communicating with teams on the ground.

Da ma ga zelle

d e b u t All o n h t i w up o go! place t

LIVES IN AFRICA, IN THE SAHARA DESERT CRITICALLY ENDANGERED DIET INCLUDES GRASSES, LEAVES, SHOOTS AND FRUIT LIFESPAN UP TO 12 YEARS IN THE WILD OR 18 IN CAPTIVITY THE LARGEST SPECIES OF GAZELLE THEY MARK THEIR TERRITORIES WITH URINE AND DUNG PILES!

‘Counter-poaching (actively patrolling land to prevent poachers from reaching the animals) is a dangerous activity and, in the unfortunate case that someone is injured, you can get them to hospital if there’s a plane around. So, aviation is a massive impact multiplier that can really help with the conservation efforts. It has a huge role to play.’ MAF Pilot Phil Henderson took the Cessna 182 plane and spent two days at a makeshift camp in the desert in western Chad, as part of a team that worked tirelessly over several days to achieve a remarkable goal. Using our aircraft to fly over the extensive area where it was thought the gazelles might be found, the team successfully tracked and tranquillised four

of them and transported them to Base Camp Oryx — a secure area where they can breed, and their valuable genetic material can be used to ensure the longevity of the species. Prior to these flights, the only live cargo Pilot

Phil had ever carried were two small rabbits! The gazelle was accompanied on the flight by a vet, and helpfully had some tubing secured around its horns to avoid damaging the plane seats!

any more images for this story? 3

Youth trained to protect wildlife Following the successful joint mission to rescue some critically endangered dama gazelle in January, MAF Chad partnered with SCF again in July this year. They have been working to protect an area which covers 77,900 square kilometres: roughly twice the size of Switzerland! One of the key

things needed is rangers, or guards.

Ma ke s h i f t c a desert in west mp in the ern Chad

Some kind of call to action here? prayer request? maybe call out to another article on a different page?

Selected from among the local youth, they set up a training camp in north-eastern Chad for three months, learning how to protect the land and the wildlife. To mark the successful completion of the programme, they brought in the local community and had a parade and other celebrations to recognise their efforts and encourage them in the work of protecting the reserve. ‘If it wasn’t for MAF, this day wouldn’t have been such a success. When we can do an event like this and bring these important but busy people up in a short time, get it televised, and show the rest of the country the importance of conservation and protection of the environment, it really has a huge impact. ‘The journey could be made by road,’ Henry Bailey concludes, ‘but it takes an entire day to get there, and the same to go back. A minister of state and all these other people don’t have the time for that. Without the flights, the

The massive impact of your fundraising Thankfully COVID-19 has not stopped the incredible fundraising efforts of our MAF Youth supporters in the last year Whatever your talents (and there does seem to be

the added chilliness of doing it through the winter

a very wide range!), you have been making a huge

months. Brrrr! Though she enjoys a summer swim,

difference in enabling MAF to continue working

Jo had never braved the icy temperatures of the

through a period that has been very difficult for

bleak midwinter waters before.

aviation. Thank you!

‘It was a very ambitious challenge, and there

Siblings Boaz, Caleb, Ezra and Ariela held their

were certainly days when the sea was rough, and

own delicious bake sale to raise money for both

the weather was so gloomy that I didn’t fancy going

MAF and Open Doors. They managed to raise £110

in at all. But with the support of my family and local

for each charity! The dinosaur and butterfly biscuits

sea swimmers, I am delighted that I completed 75

were particularly popular!

swims to bring MAF’s 75th year to a celebratory close!

Jo Lamb, from Kent, took full advantage of living

I have almost doubled my initial target of £750, and

by the coast and decided to celebrate MAF turning

managed to raise £1,400 for MAF’s humanitarian

75 last year by doing 75 sea swims — 1 a day — with

work.’

visibility we’re aiming for, promoting the importance of the reserve and its protection, would otherwise be diminished. So, it makes a huge difference.’

B o a z , C a le b E z r a a n d A r ie, la

Jo Lamb braving the rough waters!

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COULD YOU SURVIVE A DAY WITHOUT CHATTING? NO

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Bike race MAF walking challenge

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Supermarket packing

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TALENTED? Sell your skills!

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Main // Sudd wetlands across South Sudan

the last to leave

War zone flight evacuations – In 2011, South Sudan separated from Sudan after years of fighting for independence. Since then, the country has descended into a civil war which has tragically resulted in what the UN has called ‘one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises’.

Nearly 400,000 people killed since December 2013 2.27 million people forced to flee their homes and become refugees in neighbouring countries Severe famine across South Sudan Violence between communities increasing as grievances spill over due to competition over land, cattle and space for grazing

The people of South Sudan are in desperate need of immediate food and medical assistance. They also need long-term support to rebuild their livelihoods and help them get back on their feet. The humanitarian need is made worse by the poor state of the nation’s roads. Difficult terrain and geographical barriers like the Sudd (one of the world’s largest wetlands) make journey times consuming, exhausting, and full of risk. Real dangers are posed by militia soldiers, bandits, road accidents and, increasingly, by unexploded weapons from the ongoing civil war. Sometimes the roads run out completely. During the wet season roughly 60% of the country cannot be reached at all by road. In October 2021,

some 500,000 people were affected by flash floods, causing nearly half the country to be under water. The UN says tens of thousands of people were displaced by floods — their homes,

livestock and crops destroyed.

One-third of schools have been damaged or destroyed due to the fighting 2.8 million children can’t attend school 8.3 million people in South Sudan are facing hunger or famine conditions.

A three-hour flight or a one-month overland journey? A three-hour flight for one of our humanitarian partners can save them a week’s journey overland in the dry season and a month in the wet season. We want our partners to be on the ground dispensing medical care or delivering therapeutic feeding programmes, not counting days or weeks of lost time travelling to remote communities. It’s as simple as that!

How does MAF help in an emergency? In August 2021, MAF carried out a security evacuation flight for two NGOs (non-governmental organisations) working in a dangerous part of western South Sudan. MAF Communications Officer Jenny Davies, who works for MAF in South Sudan, tells the story: MAF Pilot Wim Hobo conducts a low pass over the airstrip. He takes every precaution before putting the plane on the ground — checking to ensure that the UN has arrived at the airstrip with the NGO workers we’re here to rescue. The experienced pilot has flown a couple of such flights in his time in South Sudan.

n by broke ridges

‘There are some rebel groups in the area. There has been some fighting and unrest over the past few years,’ Wim explains, filling in some of the background. ‘The fighting is further south than where we’re landing today,’ he reassures me. There are no signs of trouble at the airstrip. A soldier on the ground describes the situation as ‘calm but tense.’ Right now, he says, the town is completely shut down, the shops are closed, and people are seeking refuge in churches, schools and the UN’s Temporary Operating Base in Tambura town. ‘There is safety in numbers,’ the soldier reflects, with sadness in his voice. There has been fighting in the area for the past few months, explains one of the NGO workers. The security situation deteriorated over the weekend, triggering the evacuation of NGO workers yesterday.

Not everyone in the community can board a plane. At the opposite side of the airstrip people are leaving on foot with as much as they can carry on their heads. The kind-hearted soldier is worried about what will happen to these people now the NGOs have left. How will the people

here get food and medical care? It is easier to leave, than to return, he thinks. The faces of the NGO workers tell a different story. As relieved as they are to be heading to safety,

floods

ding b

Rebuil

Africa

Jenny Davies and MA F Pilot Wim Hobo during an evacuatio n flight

Main // Flood damage in South Sudan

they are sad and regretful about everything they’re leaving behind. The work they’re committed too. The people they’re here to serve. It’s significant that these workers are among the last to leave. An HIV project co-ordinator working at the hospital has been in Tambura since April and witnessed the situation gradually deteriorate since May. ‘It is worse now, that is why we have to leave,’ he says sombrely. ‘It’s not good. The majority of the organisations evacuated yesterday. We are the last one to leave. This is the last flight.’ MAF Pilot Wim processes the passengers and then checks and double checks the aircraft’s weight and balance so as not to exceed the aircraft’s weight limit. Tambura airstrip is bumpy and partially overgrown at one end. Safety considerations cannot be ignored, even at times like this. The rainforest geography of western South Sudan means dodging storms in the afternoons. Wim cuts a path between the billowing clouds to avoid the worst turbulence, then glances back occasionally to check that the dozing passengers are okay. They’ve weathered more than bumpy weather in the last few days. News headlines in the coming days underline the seriousness of the evolving situation in Tambura as tragedy after tragedy is reported. Between June and August 2021, the conflict claimed 200 lives and displaced 40,000 people.

‘I fully support that we are there for the NGOs and missions when they need us in an emergency. They need to know that, if they get into trouble, at least they have an option to get out. We will always try to make it work if we can.’

‘God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea’ Psalm 46:1-2 (NIV)

Pray for the people of South Sudan affected by the flash floods. Ask God to provide for those who’ve lost their homes and livelihoods

Pray for the partnership between MAF and the Sahara Conservation Fund. May God continue to bless their work to protect endangered wildlife.

MAF Pilot Wim Hobo

Pray for God to show you what your own talents and skills are, and how you can use them to serve Him!

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