Papua New Guinea
In late September, Samaritan Aviation co-founder and President Mark Palm and Wings of Hope President and CEO Bret Heinrich gathered with Wings of Hope staff and volunteers for the blessing and sendoff of a new floatplane Palm is flying cross country on his “Hope in Action” tour to raise money – and awareness – for Samaritan Aviation’s mission.
Wings of Hope recently partnered with Samaritan Aviation to support its efforts flying medical missions in Papua New Guinea.
“We are absolutely thrilled to be working with Mark and Samaritan Aviation to reach people in Papua New Guinea,” Bret said at the plane blessing event. “There is a great opportunity to reach so many people who are without health care. Papua New Guinea represents one of 47 countries we’ve worked with throughout our history, and we are particularly thrilled to embark on this new adventure with Mark and his team.”
As with our other global partners, Wings of Hope will support Samaritan Aviation’s operations through fundraising and maintenance assistance for its aircraft. This partnership is in its early stages, but plans are in the works for Wings of Hope staff to visit the Samaritan Aviation operation in Papua New Guinea in 2020 to determine the full extent of the partnership.
Ecuador
Wings of Hope recently partnered with Alas de Socorro, Ecuador (ADSE) after a long affiliation with the organization. ADSE began its activities in 1948 in Shell, Ecuador and serves a region of more than 245,000 people living in eight indigenous communities. The organization established radio communication between each community and its radio base, allowing it to connect communities to the Ministry of Health and other resources. ADSE uses its aircraft to provide emergency medevac services, medical brigades and humanitarian assistance to improve access to medical care for these communities. In 2018, Alas de Socorro transported 1,582 passengers via airplane for humanitarian assistance. So excited for this next chapter of changing and saving lives in the Amazonian basin!