“It’s another dream come true for the Nete Lyaim Region.
This is the first formal flight to Yalum airstrip by MAF. It has been 22 years and our prayers are answered. We used to take 4-5 days walk to access basic services but now no more 4-5 days walk by foot."
These are the words of Miok Michael, he wrote on his social media page on January 14th, the day the flight had happened.
Miok Michael is a local from Yalum who lives and works in urban PNG but who has not forgotten his people in remote Yalum. He is a mineral processing engineer, currently helping his people in the rural communities in Nete Lyaim region of the Maip Mulitaka LLG in Enga Province.
He continues in his post:
"We thank MAF for reaching the unreached Nete Lyaim Region.
Great thank you to Mr. Satish Moka and the MAF Mt Hagen team.
God bless MAF to continue to reach the unreached rural communities in PNG.
Cone Markers for the airstrip
Big thank you and appreciation to RAA* team from Goroka for supplying the cone markers for the airstrip. [RAA ... Rural Airstrip Agency]
We also thank Ruth Kissam Tindiwi for being the channel of communication. Without you, we wouldn’t have come this far. You are such a wonderful woman.
Finally, thank you MAF Pilot, Richie Axon, for the great flight today and for lining the cone markers at the airstrip with the locals.
All in all, we thank God for this.”
This first operational MAF flight was completely funded by MAF PNG. The airstrip with its 450 meters length and 2.4 % slope is a great challenge which demands certain safety measures and limits the load of the aircraft, leaving just about 250kg payload with minimum fuel out of Mt Hagen.
There was more cargo on board than the cone markers, which were sent to ensure proper airstrip standards.
Without the generosity of MAF PNG, this wouldn’t have been made possible. Papua New Guinea’s logistics is a nightmare, but we managed to work around the possibilities of teaming up with the right people.
Stationery for the school
The Peter Nathan Loko Foundation also mentioned this MAF flight on their social media site:
“PNG’s school donations have reached the children of Nete Lyaim. It was the hand over of donations from MAF PNG to the people of Nete Lyaim today.
MAF PNG is a not-for-profit organisation. As you know, NGOs rely heavily on donated funds. MAF PNG donated their pilot to deliver the much needed school stationery to the children of Nete Lyaim, Enga Province, PNG.
Without the generosity of MAF PNG, this wouldn’t have been made possible. Papua New Guinea’s logistics is a nightmare, but we managed to work around the possibilities of teaming up with the right people. ”
In an interview Miok Michael shared, ”since Independence, we don’t have any school but just last year, the provincial government has given us two schools, one primary school and two elementary schools. So this is the first donation from that foundation. Currently we have about six teachers in the primary school and two teachers in the elementary school. We have about 200 students enrolled in the Primary school, and about 150 students in Elementary.”
Making the most of the flight
Miok Michael accompanied the flight from Mt Hagen to Yalum and back. Onboard the flight from Yalum back to Mt Hagen were three passengers needing medical care for various reasons. Mr Michael shares another challenge for his people: ”There is no clinic, no hospital. Nothing. We don’t have road access.” Remembering his life in the village, he recalls: ”I think we used to take about three days to get to the next town. We used to sleep one to two days in the middle of the track and then take a bus to access medical care. Sometimes, you know, the pregnant lady used to die, babies do die on the road. It’s a sad story to tell. But I want to say thank you to MAF. It’s a great blessing for us here!”
