I do!
There are many, but as not as many as there could be.
A few years ago it was estimated that there were 6% of females in professional aviation; I believe & hope that this figure has risen over the last decade.
However many children in Africa have no idea; they look above them and believe that the 'driver' is a white male.
Slowly wafric.org is changing this concept. Women Aviators in Africa has aviation professionals from Africa & beyond who want to make this idea a thing of the past. In late September 2011, WAFRIC will be in Ghana, the first time to step foot in W.Africa. Proud to be there, to manage their 3rd annual conference from afar, they will hopefully enlighten others & encourage those in aviation to open up the notions of other young ladies to join the profession.
It has to be said that www.waasps.com is doing just that, a small airfield north of Accra teaching young & predominantly female pilots to fly. This has to be commended, a small airfield with a boss that has a passion that I thought I had, but he's overshadowed me! Not just that, but this airfield is teaching Ghana's first disabled pilot (I really hate that word - disabled). The lady in question has been in hospital for a few weeks now getting surgery, she can only get better I hope!
WAFRIC had another lady from Nigeria, for a few years she was disheartened. Her father was certainly not going to allow his daughter to follow a profession that really wasn't for a lady! Bit by bit with help from outside sources, his mind was changed & he agreed to pay for her training in South Africa. Unfortunately she's still in Nigeria due to visa complications despite that her training was paid. We endeavour to get her flying & eventually a commercial pilot!
There is a massive need now for 'wannabe' pilots to be trained, the flying generation is getting older on a worldwide scale. Recruitment drives will be stronger shortly, taking newly qualified pilots on & encouraging them to obtain their ratings as the older generation retire.
WAFRIC hopes to see the un-abled-bodied-person in the skies during the conference in late September ... there is so much to do across Africa, not just for women but for the ladies that are undergoing life-changing operations!!!
Join us, or if it's not possible,we're always in need of funds to get the students to experience flight!!!
Friday, June 24, 2011
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Confused ...
It's not just me; it's 'friends' on twitter too ...
Friends don't understand the French involvement in W.Africa, in the past during independance and the current situation. Living here & travelling regulary gives me an insight into how the politics & economics of the region works. I was personally shocked by a pre-independance map I had the privilege to see, no countries were marked, just a great expanse of French territory with Nigeria & Ghana outlined in pink.
So, France seems to be very much involved in current economic affairs in Cote d'Ivoire as well as being dual spear-heads on the assault against Ghaddafi. Russia & China vetoed out of both UN sanctions ... Russia had already signed via Gazprom (?national energy company) with Gbagbo; did they also come to an agreement with Libya? My head is spinning!
That's the first part of my confusion ...
The second involves a young boy aged 15 now; he's at school, 'college' in Cote d'Ivoire who came online to talk to me after knowing me for 5yrs+. When I quizzed him about being in a cyber cafe rather than at college, he told me that his teacher died yesterday.
Later I chatted to the director of the children's centre he lives in to find that the FRCI had killed his teacher. I am confused. I thought Cote d'Ivoire was calm now without any problems and certainly not government forces killing people. Maybe I don't have the whole story, but it's worrying ..
France is now firmly re-implanted in Cote d'Ivoire. I'm sure Sarkozy would like to be elsewhere in Africa particularly W.Africa. The French left as the English did but the difference being that they left taking a lot of infrastructure & blue prints with them upon independence. It's left W.Africa needy for French assistance. This might explain why there is an influx of W.African French in France as a tweeter reminded me. The fact that the infrastructure was torn out didn't leave much for those who wanted to re-build the country.
I hope that the same will not be said in the near future in Cote d'Ivoire if it all goes wrong; however the First Lady is French ... time will tell. Having spoken to French special forces posted there during the crisis, I do wonder!
Yako mes amis
Friends don't understand the French involvement in W.Africa, in the past during independance and the current situation. Living here & travelling regulary gives me an insight into how the politics & economics of the region works. I was personally shocked by a pre-independance map I had the privilege to see, no countries were marked, just a great expanse of French territory with Nigeria & Ghana outlined in pink.
So, France seems to be very much involved in current economic affairs in Cote d'Ivoire as well as being dual spear-heads on the assault against Ghaddafi. Russia & China vetoed out of both UN sanctions ... Russia had already signed via Gazprom (?national energy company) with Gbagbo; did they also come to an agreement with Libya? My head is spinning!
That's the first part of my confusion ...
The second involves a young boy aged 15 now; he's at school, 'college' in Cote d'Ivoire who came online to talk to me after knowing me for 5yrs+. When I quizzed him about being in a cyber cafe rather than at college, he told me that his teacher died yesterday.
Later I chatted to the director of the children's centre he lives in to find that the FRCI had killed his teacher. I am confused. I thought Cote d'Ivoire was calm now without any problems and certainly not government forces killing people. Maybe I don't have the whole story, but it's worrying ..
France is now firmly re-implanted in Cote d'Ivoire. I'm sure Sarkozy would like to be elsewhere in Africa particularly W.Africa. The French left as the English did but the difference being that they left taking a lot of infrastructure & blue prints with them upon independence. It's left W.Africa needy for French assistance. This might explain why there is an influx of W.African French in France as a tweeter reminded me. The fact that the infrastructure was torn out didn't leave much for those who wanted to re-build the country.
I hope that the same will not be said in the near future in Cote d'Ivoire if it all goes wrong; however the First Lady is French ... time will tell. Having spoken to French special forces posted there during the crisis, I do wonder!
Yako mes amis
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
L'avenir or the future
Gbagbo was caught, IB was shot and this week Ble Goude is coming out of his shadows - could make for a great movie ...
Personally, I'm concerned, I will admit to being a French resident but am worried about the future French involvement. I can see Cote d'Ivoire being a semi-colony of France which wasn't the objective during independence. Last weekend I was talking to a French soldier who was in Bouake from December until April, with a few others ready to make a strike, they left before Gbagbo was captured or the strikes were made across Abidjan.
French Special Forces aren't to be messed with, this one left with his colleagues before it all got nasty. We were in touch whilst I was there, hence I knew movements & my personal safety whilst I was in situ. The messages I got whilst on the ground were difficult to deal with; I couldn't disclose the situation earlier due to the situation of their mission. I felt sometimes like I was on a knife edge knowing too much possibly, but wanting the best.
I was there when things weren't that bad when you compare with what happened in March & April. Predominantly I was there for C.R.E.E.R, to have a meeting with the Mayor which took a month to arrange, at the same time I needed to go to Burkina Faso for work. I never got there, I'm now in a difficult situation; C.R.E.E.R isn't as it should be especially for our partners in Canada & I'm without work - which in France without a salaried position isn't funny. It means that I must continue to search for work, I don't get any social help & am close to shutting down my business ..
So where to go from here? I don't know .. we're now submitting papers without any assistance & hoping for the best; I believe it will work out, C.R.E.E.R will be an entity shortly in Cote d'Ivoire: We have to be soon, I'm right behind that but any assistance is a bonus!
C.R.E.E.R needs setting up soon, our future director saw kids of 10 or 11 on the streets armed with guns. The Mayor said that he needs time to get his political career sorted; it's now 10 months since our first meeting with him (prior to the crisis) to get this going. I realise & know that this is not a political issue but surely the future of Ivoirian children are an issue???
Someone prove me wrong please!
Yako mes amis; surtout a Yop et a ailleurs!!!
Personally, I'm concerned, I will admit to being a French resident but am worried about the future French involvement. I can see Cote d'Ivoire being a semi-colony of France which wasn't the objective during independence. Last weekend I was talking to a French soldier who was in Bouake from December until April, with a few others ready to make a strike, they left before Gbagbo was captured or the strikes were made across Abidjan.
French Special Forces aren't to be messed with, this one left with his colleagues before it all got nasty. We were in touch whilst I was there, hence I knew movements & my personal safety whilst I was in situ. The messages I got whilst on the ground were difficult to deal with; I couldn't disclose the situation earlier due to the situation of their mission. I felt sometimes like I was on a knife edge knowing too much possibly, but wanting the best.
I was there when things weren't that bad when you compare with what happened in March & April. Predominantly I was there for C.R.E.E.R, to have a meeting with the Mayor which took a month to arrange, at the same time I needed to go to Burkina Faso for work. I never got there, I'm now in a difficult situation; C.R.E.E.R isn't as it should be especially for our partners in Canada & I'm without work - which in France without a salaried position isn't funny. It means that I must continue to search for work, I don't get any social help & am close to shutting down my business ..
So where to go from here? I don't know .. we're now submitting papers without any assistance & hoping for the best; I believe it will work out, C.R.E.E.R will be an entity shortly in Cote d'Ivoire: We have to be soon, I'm right behind that but any assistance is a bonus!
C.R.E.E.R needs setting up soon, our future director saw kids of 10 or 11 on the streets armed with guns. The Mayor said that he needs time to get his political career sorted; it's now 10 months since our first meeting with him (prior to the crisis) to get this going. I realise & know that this is not a political issue but surely the future of Ivoirian children are an issue???
Someone prove me wrong please!
Yako mes amis; surtout a Yop et a ailleurs!!!
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