A church volunteer, an accountant and a politician all flew with MAF to remote communities in Guinea. This is what the flight meant to them.
As a supervisor with MAF in Guinea, Robert Koundouno knows the difference that aviation makes for people travelling to and from isolated communities.
But when he used his precious vacation time to train young people in a farming community, Robert discovered for himself the benefits of smooth travel in MAF’s Cessna Caravan.
“Usually, we come to Kissidougou by road,” he said. “We not only have the time it takes us, but the fatigue also it gives us and sometimes the risk that it entails.
“But this time I had. Not only was I able to save time, but I was also able to save energy, I arrived at less than an hour and 30 minutes. It was very pleasant.
“So, I can only thank MAF again because it relieves us a lot when we know what we normally go through on the road.”
Robert, who works in an operations role for MAF in Conakry, said the flight had allowed him to use more of his time off to help the community.
“This trip allowed me to come and meet the farmers in Kissidougou,” he said. “We did a lot of training, a lot of things that I discovered that will still serve me and allow me to be able to prepare and maybe possibly get involved in Kissidougou.
“There are also many opportunities here in this prefecture and thanks to MAF, I can come and go and continue to be in contact with these farmers and to be in the field of agriculture as well.”
Yolande Holie was on the flight from N’Zérékoré back to Conakry, supporting her mother who suffers from high blood pressure and diabetes
The accountant said her mother, Seny Camara, has had treatment at the local Zao Center, which partners with MAF to provide affordable healthcare in the region of N’Zérékoré.
"There are no roads in Guinea, especially the national road in Conakry,” he said. “So, with the condition of my mother has escalated. Sometimes it's not good, we are forced to go through the airport. Otherwise, even from here to Conakry, it could aggravate the disease even more for the sick.That's why we prefer to go by air.
“You know, in Guinea, it's not easy, but still, the price of the plane, it's small, I say a big thank you to them.”
Hon Dorcas Nema Dione is a member of Guinea’s National Assembly who flew from MAF to Kissidougou before driving more than one hour to Macenta, which she is from.
The politician thinks more Guineans should embrace the benefits of being able to reach remote communities with a MAF flight.
“I am delighted to have made this journey, 8.30-10.30am. I'm already in Nzérékoré. I wasn't tired,” she said.
“I give thanks to God because for me, all things work together for the good of those who love God. So, this MAF flight I want to give this visibility. I want Guineans to know that we can make a journey, we can come, we can travel 1000 kilometres in 2 hours or less than 2 hours. It's very important to me.”
She said she would love her family to be able to travel to her home community in Macenta.
"If I can get a direct flight to Macenta, then understand how I'll still be very happy,” she added. “I can take my mother who is very old travel, I can make my husband, my children and everything travel. So, that would be a good project and I pray to God that he will give you grace.
“I was there last July, my younger brother died, so I wanted to attend the funeral. So, I came in the RAV4, but I think it was towards Kissidougou Gueckedou, the road was very bad, and it was really not easy.”