MAF flights help medical team bring healing to a remote community in central Guinea, sparing them a two-day road journey.
Mansare Nankoria had been suffering from the painful effects of leprosy for more than a year before a MAF flight brought a medical team to her region in central Guinea. Mansare received treatment from the Mission Partners for Christ team for her leprosy, which had left her with wounds on both hands and feet for a year and four months.
“I am a native of this village, I really cannot describe the way these wounds started on me. I went to several hospitals and villages to find a solution but nothing,” she said.
“Since I couldn't find any real medicine for my recovery, I became discouraged. For several months, I had not been in the hospital for treatment and care.
“But on this day, I can say thank God for the arrival of this team, which really relieves me, they took their time to make me think and give me medicine.”
MAF flew Mission Partners for Christ from Guinea’s capital, Conakry, to the airstrip at Faranah, where they drove the 85km to Mansare's village, Fouroubouria.
Sheri Postma, who led the team, said they were motivated to bring doctors to communities that were far from quality healthcare.
“We also have in our team nurse practitioners and nurses, so it provides an opportunity for them to be evaluated. We do a lot of health education on our trips,” she said.
“Our organisation very much feels that everyone should have the opportunity to hear about Jesus. Can you imagine if you had never heard about Jesus? We feel that God has called us specifically to go to unreached people groups.”
“So that's why we decided to come to this region of the country to serve; we'll not just be serving in Faranah, but we'll be going out to other villages within this area.”
Sheri said only MAF flights made it possible to reach the Kuranko people because the two-day drive to that part of Guinea would have been too difficult.
“I needed to have a small plane to get me there, and then I find out about MAF and found out that they were a Christian organisation,” she said.
“We'd not be here in the Faranah region if it weren't for MAF being able to fly us here.
“If we do not have them fly us out here, it will be a very long, hard, tiring ride for us to get to some of these communities, and it just won't be possible. It would be too difficult on the team, as they travel long distances from the United States to come and serve, and we serve long days.”
Rev Wilmot Walker, Senior Church Planter with the Ministry for the Community in Guinea, said he saw the needs of the Kuranko two years ago.
“I decided to write to our partners, Mission Partners for Christ, and ask them to come, so that they can serve our people, and it is a blessing that they have reacted positively,” he said.
“We are grateful to God for MAF which helped us greatly to fly from Conakry to Faranah. I think it’s just taken us an hour and 20 minutes to be here.”
Local farmer Sékou Mara said his small community lacks infrastructure, such as hospitals – people need to travel to Faranah for medical treatment.
“We are sincerely suffering in this village. I’m very happy today to see this organisation coming into our community to help and give medical care, this is a great satisfaction for my community and me. May God bless them because they are helping the poor,” he said.
STORY & PHOTOS / JOEL CONTE