Back to Blog

Meet Fiona Vincent

My involvement with MAF began in 2009 when the Mareeba Maintenance Hangar was desperate for help in the finance department. We were living 30 kms west of Mareeba, on the edge of the outback with our five children. Since I had qualified as a Chartered Accountant and had many years’ experience in that field, the vacancy fitted my skillset. A year later the Mareeba Finance Manager retired and I was able to step into that role. I continued to homeschool our children.When we moved back to New Zeala...

Reconnecting a Lifeline to Health Services

“A lot of them died. We asked them, ’What happened?’” said Doctor Diane Yoko, contemplating the absence of health service in Yenkisa.For two years, ethnic clashes in this remote Papua New Guinea community prevented health services, leaving families to battle the ever-present malaria and other sicknesses without aid.MAF flew to Yenkisa, delivering a health patrol from Kompiam Rural Hospital, restoring health services in a place where roads cannot reach.A team of ten led by Diane treated e...

Remote Airstrip Nears Reopening in Hauna

Hauna airstrip sits beside an oxbow lake on the Sepik River, serving over 1,000 people nearby. Just 15 minutes by motor canoe from the village, it's a vital link to Hauna’s school, clinic, church, teacher training college, and Sepik Christian Ministries.Jonah Maiyak, Director of Sepik Christian Ministries, shared how the airstrip could bring help, hope, and healing. He said medical teams, missionaries, officials, and businesspeople will use it to reach the community.Due to surface strength ris...

MAF Delivers Food after Myanmar's Earthquake

Amid the suffering caused by the 7.7 magnitude earthquake that hit Myanmar, MAF’s team were greeted with big smiles and shouts of joy when they arrived with enough supplies to feed hundreds of families.MAF’s General Manager in Myanmar, Deeram Khong, drove with engineer Terry Fahey to Tada-U to assess the damage and meet the needs of people trying to rebuild their lives after the natural disaster.The supplies, funded by the donations of MAF supporters, were sorted into parcels so that each fa...

MAF Flight Brings Clean Water to South Sudan

Student Nyakoi Dier knows that access to clean water is making a difference for her education and future.Tearfund, supported by MAF flights, has rehabilitated 14 boreholes in the Rubkona and Budang Payam areas in collaboration with the State Government Water Department, with ten more currently in progress. Rubkona Primary School and Danger Primary School, located on the same compound, now benefit from clean water thanks to Tearfund.“The 15-year-old, who attends Danger Primary School, says, ‘...

Our "Vital Lifeline" for Liberia

Key MAF staff shared their thoughts and reflections on the impact of flying around the nation.“Aviation is expensive, but through the generosity of donors, we can operate at a fair cost, ensuring that people in Liberia receive the help they desperately need,” said Adolphus Johnson, a finance manager with MAF in Liberia.He has spent the past two years overseeing the programme’s financial operations.From managing cash flow to handling stock and legal matters, he plays a crucial role in ensur...

MAF Brought Hope after Tean Years of Suffering

She lost the use of her jaw and could no longer open her mouth or eat properly. Ten years on, Yelikha’s mother Aissatou Sompare, had new hope thanks to specialist treatment at an isolated clinic."She is 15 years old; we have visited many hospitals. Until today, we have not had a better treatment for her situation," Aissatou said.Apart from the hospitals, we have also gone to several other traditional healers in several regions of the country, and we are still without success.“We had the grac...

Church Leaders Attend 100 Year Celebration

‘The whole church is welcome to attend!’ Archbishop Samuel Peni said issuing an open invitation to guests and highlighting the significance of the event for the Episcopal Church of South Sudan. ‘The climax of the celebration will be on 11 April because that is the day we will mark exactly one hundred years.’The cathedral, built and opened in 1925, is home to a thriving community of believers. It is thought to be the oldest Episcopal Church of South Sudan and one of the oldest buildings i...

MAF Provide Vital Link to a Medical Centre

Guinea has high maternal mortality rates, with many women dying due to complications from pregnancy or childbirth. In rural areas, most mothers cannot access trained midwives or obstetricians.But a clinic in the remote village of N’zao, which relies on MAF flights for a vital link with the capital Conakry, has had a big breakthrough since opening its maternity centre in 2023.Anna, coordinator of Hope Clinic, said the training of staff and the use of ‘stop bleeding kits’ had made a dramatic...

Water Filters Protect Mbale Against Diesease

Fifteen-year-old Jeremiah Wamimbi suffered for years from illnesses caused by dirty water.He battled constant diarrhoea and typhoid, falling ill, recovering just enough to keep going, and then getting sick again.But three months ago, everything changed when missionaries from The Bucket Ministry visited their home with a bucket filter bringing clean, safe water.“My son has suffered from diarrhoea and typhoid for many years, but now, with the gift of the bucket, his health has greatly improved,�...

MAF Flights Support a Hospital Expansion

“The hospital here is a 105-bed facility,” said Project Manager Charles Ichu, as his colleagues from Adventist Health disembarked an MAF aeroplane at Béré.“However, we treat far more patients than that, sometimes even under the trees. The hospital serves the people of Béré, but people come from as far as Sudan to get help here. MAF has been a great partner!”The MAF flight brought Miriam and Milomfa Ayite, serving with Adventist Health International, from the national capital N’Djam...

Medical safari brings hope to Tanzania village

The medical safari went to provide medical care and to share the gospel. Mothers and babies received essential medicines such as vaccines for polio. At the same time, worship services were held and the Good News was shared. Both brought hope and comfort to the village, as access to medical care in Chidudu is a challenge....

Equipping leaders to grow remote churches

Pastor Robert Hane and wife Rhoda have spent the past four years training new leaders. Their goal is to plant churches in isolated communities in Papua New Guinea.They have been able to use the resources from MAF Technologies to train their leaders. These resources prepare pastors for the challenges the church faces in remote areas.Pastor Robert believes this ministry has reached as far as the Gulf Province borders. A recent advanced leadership training prepared 71 leaders from Yavaipo.Many of t...

Delivering hope and water-bottle baptisms

Rev Peter W Fumbi flew with MAF to an isolated community in Tanzania. As a result of a successful outreach, a group of mean were baptised with water from the plane.Peter landed in the community of Mahaka with MAF pilot Mark Liprini. He immediately got chatting to members of the Sukuma tribe who had approached the plane.Peter preached to them, explaining how God can be reached through Jesus, our saviour, and that we are not reaching God through our ancestors – we are worshipping and reaching Go...

What it means to finally have your own Bible

A woman in the community, Ata, bought a Bible from pilot Glenys. She was thankful to MAF and pilot Glenys for bringing the Bible, but she also wanted to share how important it is for the whole community to have Bibles.“There are many people here who know how to read, but they don’t have a Bible,” said Ata.“Lots of the older educated people have come. They already have received the knowledge of the Bible, so what could they use it for? But the Bible has come for a cheap price, so now they...

Emptying the Bible Box

MAF pilot Jan Ivar Andresen flew to the rural community of Sengapi from Mount Hagen. He brought a full Bible Box, but when he arrived, he quickly realised he did not have enough.The flight’s purpose was to bring more than 600kg of valuable school supplies. Jan Ivar had also prepared by bringing the Bible Box with him. It was filled with Bibles, Comics, Audio Bibles, and reading glasses.“The last time I was in Sengapi, the MAF agent had asked me for Bibles,” said Jan Ivar.“I promised him ...

Transforming Lives in the Massai Community

Daniel Siang’au had his neighbours curse him, his flock stolen, and his face shot. Now, he is seeing healing and peace in a remote Tanzanian village.He came to faith in 1998 and became an evangelist. He suffered years of persecution before his former rivals embraced Christianity.Daniel fought for his life after receiving a gunshot wound to the face. Despite this, he went on to propose the development of an airstrip so MAF could bring a team to preach.MAF flew evangelists on the Malambo Safari ...

Passengers on a Mission

United by a passion to serve the people of Guinea, representatives from Mission Philafricaine, Pioneers Bible Translators, City of Refuge Ministry and the Association for Education of Children of Guinea flew with MAF from the capital Conakry.The mix of missionaries were delighted to be flying with MAF for the first time.Alexandre Weiss, from SAM Global, had travelled from Switzerland to work with a clinic in Nzérékoré.“I am here with my director to learn everything that SAM does. Seeing the...

King celebrates Papua New Guinea’s 50th anniversary of independence by unveiling a new humanitarian aircraft for charity Mission Aviation Fellowship

His Majesty King Charles III unveiled a new aircraft at RAF Northolt and met delegates from Papua New Guinea (PNG) to mark the country’s 50th anniversary of independence and membership of the Commonwealth.The visit also celebrated the 80th anniversary of the world’s largest humanitarian air operator, Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF), which was founded in 1945 by members of the RAF and has been operating in PNG since 1951.The King pressed a button revealing the new Cessna 208 Caravan, the la...

Missionary Spared Two Days Travel

“Today, MAF is helping me fly to Maintirano, as there are not many travel options to get there,” Danielli said.After being away for four months, Danielli needed to travel from Madagascar’s capital, Antananarivo, to Maintirano, located on Madagascar’s west coast. Without flying, Maintirano is accessible by a five-hundred-kilometre journey along one of the country’s most hazardous and unsafe roads.“If I go by public transport or by car, it will take a lot of time, and the security is n...

A Bridge to a Better Future

For residents of the Loita Maasai community in Kenya, the construction of a much- awaited bridge marks the beginning of a new era. One where floods no longer isolate families, children are able to attend school without anxiety, and medical emergencies are no longer do-or-die situations on the riverbank.On a bright and cheerful day, RedTribe joined community members, partners, and supporters to officially open the bridge.“The bridge was the first demand from the people when we went almost two d...

Graduation of South Sudanese Refugees

MAF brought PEACE International representatives to Adjumani for a ceremony celebrating the success of young people who have fled conflict in South Sudan.Growing up in a refugee camp in Uganda, Akech knows education will be his key to a brighter future.“When I study, I’ll be in a position to help my family. I want to build a house for my mother and help her raise my other siblings,” he said.‘‘I want to be an engineer. When I see people working with electricity, I admire them and I feel ...

A Bible Translation 61 Years in the Making

It was a privilege for MAF staff to attend the Bible dedication celebration in the town of Dekai, Papua. After 61 years & two generations in translation, Ngalik speakers have the complete Bible.This story began in the 1960s when the Ed and Shirley Maxey—Christian & Missionary Alliance (CMA) missionaries—arrived in the village of Silimo. After building a house and an airstrip, they committed their lives to learning the Ngalik language and getting it into written form....

Fly Good News....twice as far!

Jim Balus, the pastor of a local church in Papua New Guinea has been working with New Tribes missionaries to take the Gospel to unreached villages.“God’s word has not come there. They need us.”Pastor Jim reached out to MAF for a flight to access the Hewa tribe in a small village called Minim.The village is extremely isolated, accessible only via long treks through the jungle or by air.Thankfully, Pastor Jim and his team of five men, one woman, and two children were able to take a 25-minute...

Buckingham Palace Recognises MAF's Humanitarian Work

On Thursday 20th February, the King and the Queen hosted a reception at Buckingham Palace in London. This was to recognise the humanitarian work undertaken by national and international organisations and to mark Their Majesties’ long-standing support for humanitarian causes.MAF was represented at the event by:Donovan Palmer – CEO, MAF UKMax Gove - Trustee of MAF UK who has served in various roles since 1971 including as a pilot, Country Director and senior leader. He has also been involved i...