With no roads and high costs for basic goods, the delivery of a rice mill by MAF aircraft marks a turning point for the isolated community of Ambi.
Story by Mandy Glass
The village of Ambi is perched on a mountain plateau above Papua New Guinea’s Strickland River. It is extremely isolated, with no road access, and the local population depends heavily on subsistence farming.
All essential supplies must be flown in, often by MAF. However, a simple but transformative delivery by MAF has stirred hope and excitement among the locals and those on the flight.
“There aren't any roads coming to our village. Everything is so expensive for us, everything we fly in. As we are able to grow rice here which seems to turn out well, we thought it’s worth getting a rice milling machine,” said Helson, one of Ambi’s residents, as the community gathered around the MAF aircraft after the rice mill has been unloaded.
Before I viewed MAF as just aviation; after this flight, I realised MAF is a lifeline, reaching people where no other access exists.
“Up to now we had lots of rice coming from town. For it to get here, we spend lots of money on airfreight on top of the food price. That just adds up and is so expensive.
“That’s why we got the rice mill so we can process the rice we are growing here and eat it straight away. Thanks to MAF for bringing the machine.”
His words were met with applause from the bystanders who had come to witness the offload.
Among those on board, observing his first MAF flight, was George Dahl, a newly recruited MAF Traffic Officer.
“Captain Bridget scanned the skies for an opening, there was a gap just off our route that allowed us to travel through safely,” George said.
“Upon landing, we were met by a vibrant crowd excited to see the aircraft and the new rice mill. This interaction opened my eyes to the joy MAF brings, providing crucial access that enables families to connect and goods to flow into the communities. The rice mill machine will help farmers mill and de-husk rice in their own community, encouraging them to keep growing rice and save money instead of buying it.
“This trip reshaped my perspective on MAF. Before I viewed MAF as just aviation; after this flight, I realised MAF is a lifeline, reaching people where no other access exists.”
Pilot Bridget Ingham could see how the delivery brings self-reliance to the village.
“I was intrigued, because you don't think of Papua New Guinea as being a rice-growing country. However, knowing the amount of rainfall that the area around Ambi receives, it makes sense for someone to try,” she said.
“As Helson said, to get rice previously, they had to fly it from the nearest town at significant expense. … Hopefully the community is supportive of Helson and his endeavours. It was a privilege to fly something useful into a community, rather than just consumables – a machine to process rice, instead of just rice.”
