Subject: Sept. Newsletter
Date: Sun, 14 Sep 97 08:37:57 UTC
From: MPilert@yahoo.com
Greetings to all:
As usual the time has flown by here, just as I am sure the summer has flown by for all of you. of course it is winter here. I am based back in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique now, and being quite far south (about the same latitude as Johannesburg, 26 degrees south) the nights have been quite cool. However, winter is drawing to a close, and it is starting to warm up. Before long it will be stinkin' hot again. Up north in Quelimane it is already heating up.
I have been missing the usual summer activities back home. But I must say that the 4th of July here in Maputo was the most American experience I've had here. The U. S. Embassy put on a big party and barbecue complete with apple pie! With all the relief an development agencies here there are quite a number of Americans around town.
In the past month I've been bouncing back and forth between Quelimane and Maputo taking care of business at both bases. It is nice to get out of the city and live back up in Quelimane for a week or so.
A couple of weeks ago I went up to Quelimane to stay for ten days because Bob our base manager was on vacation. I flew the King Air up there, and then went on a training flight with Roland, our new pilot from Germany. I got a call on the radio and was immediately dispatched on a medivac trip to Johannesburg. I came in and landed the Cessna switched to the King Air, and set course for South Africa. A child of the World Vision director had a serious case of malaria. I spent the night in Jo'burg, and it sure was a treat to stay in a real hotel, and get a good steak dinner. I was up the next morning well before dawn for the return to Quelimane to resume training Roland.
We've had some really nice trips. I've been up to the little town of Marrupa with the Irish Embassy. The Irish are doing quite a bit of developmental work in the northern part or the country. On trips with them we almost always get to spend some time in the districts, and see the projects, often spending a night or two in some of the smaller towns. In Marrupa the school is being rebuilt, as well as other reconstruction projects.
I had another similar trip with IBIS, a Danish organization up to the mountain villages of Lugela, Nammaroi, and Alto Molocue. We also visited schools, and water well projects. This area really has some beautiful mountain valleys. Some of the airstrips up there are kind of short and rough.
This month we are booked up solid with the King Air schedule. U.S.A.I.D. has a lot of extra trips. I'll be working really hard until the 25th of Sept. then I'll get almost tree weeks of vacation, I need it.
This week I celebrate the completion of my first year here in Mozambique. It has been quite an experience, and I look forward to new experiences, and meeting more new friends in the next year ahead of me.
Last month I had a visit from Daryl Galloway from Colorado It was just great to see an old friend from home. "Froggy" and Vicky have been traveling for quite some time all over Africa. We had a good week together, and were able to get out on the week end and visit some of the country and farms in the area. We met some South African farmers who settled in a remote area south of Maputo recently. They were having a Sunday afternoon barbecue on their farm. We were driving by, and got invited in for the meal. We were the first Americans to visit their project, and got a warm reception. These folks really laid out the hospitality. We all had a great time. It is a rough life for these settlers. These folks are real pioneers. The family has been there working hard for the past two years. The man's wife died of malaria the first year.
In the past month the national airline here has had a rash of problems. They have had so many mechanical problems, and canceled so many of their flights that it has made it very difficult to get around in this country. Our fleet of four planes has been extra busy servicing our agencies, who also rely on the airline to move some of their key people up and down this country. It looks like we will continue to be busy.
A few weeks ago I was up in Tete, and Songo with some U.S Embassy, and U.S.A.I.D. people. We visited the Cahora Bassa dam and power generating project on the Zambezi river. This is a huge facility, and supplies power to parts of South Africa. I had to do a medivac flight for a German man who had both his legs broken (Compound fractures both bones, both legs). The circumstances were very mysterious, but the German Embassy requested we do the flight. We never did get the true story of what happened, but I'm telling you there was something shady going on.
This past week I've been flying a delegation from U.S.A.I.D., World Bank, and Mozambican government officials. They are working on developing more business opportunities for the private sector. This country cannot continue to survive on international aid. Things are getting better here. Last year Mozambique was the poorest country in the world, now the rating is upgraded to second poorest.
So long for now. Keep that e mail rolling in. I love hearing from all of you. Cheers,
Mike Pilert
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