It's been said before and I have no qualms to say it again.  African aviation is loosing its manpower to those who can offer further training, salaries and better career advancement elsewhere, predominantly in the Middle East & Asia where more advanced hub and spoke commercial operations and developed cargo operations exist.

However, there is a symbolic change to this that is slowly moving across the continent.  WAFRIC (Women Aviators in Africa) is a NGO founded in 2008 in Kenya; with an aim of increasing opportunities for career advancement and mentorship for African women and youths pursuing careers in the aviation sector. As the organization's mission statement affirms, we intend "To become the premier forum for women aviators throughout Africa and a change catalyst that transforms Africa's aviation industry." As I had mentioned before in this medium almost two years ago, there is a negligible presence of African women in aviation careers and this doesn't seem to have changed.  Statistics show the number of women in aviation to be less than 6% globally; and probably less throughout the African continent. This is indeed a call to action to support, mentor and increase the existing and future generation of African women aviators. As WAFRIC works towards expanding to reach women aviators throughout the continent, the organization reaches out to young pioneers who want to join the industry. WAFRIC has spoken to many Ministers, Directors General and CEOs to ensure that the female personnel in aviation can move forward and enhance their careers. In this domain, it is important that there is a sense of a work/life balance to further the careers of women who want a family and career. This has been achieved in a few nations across the continent including Nigeria.  Nigeria has done much to propel women forward in aviation. The Director General of Nigeria's Civil Aviation Authority, Dr Harold Demuren, is one of the advocates of the cause, keen to see more women moving into the industry.  Nigeria had the first all-women crew on a commercial flight, and many more behind the scenes in important back-office roles. The well-known Nigerian aviator, Captain Edward Boyo, has been supporting WAFRIC and driving the cause forward via a variety of efforts.

The 2011 WAFRIC Conference held in Ghana. WAFRIC had a happy shock whilst researching the country to discover an aviation operation in Ghana. WAASPS.com training 'young ladies who want a career and not a job'. The operation is a wonderful way of getting rural girls involved in aviation.  Their instructor, Patricia Mawuli Nyekodzi, first saw aircraft overhead thinking it was chasing her. Only three years ago she had a machete in her hand, cutting the runway grass and obstinate tree stumps to prove her worth before gaining her training. Today she is not only a pilot but also an instructor, the first female Rotax engineer globally and now a supporter of WAFRIC. How many other African countries could emulate this rural aviation system and produce such future leaders? This is not an easy task. However, WAASPS works in tandem with other organizations to ensure that village children who have a desire to be aviators follow their dreams. One of their current students is a young disabled girl who has had intensive operations to overcome a debilitating disablement to her arm. Only 16 years old and after many operations, she is already flying, much to the astonishment of her formerly doubting Head Teacher after only two years at Primary School. She is on track to gain her National Pilots Licence (Ghana has an enabling starting point in aviation similar to the LSA movement in the USA). Nothing much will stop Lydia Wetsi from being an aviator, engineer of the future and encouraging other women; currently flying bush missions to rural communities with the much needed health education to prevent others suffering as she had done.

Unfortunately, it has to be admitted that many African nations have very little by way of general aviation. This needs to change to allow more students to gain an understanding of aviation and stay on the continent to obtain their initial training. This does not just include bush missions. Imagine first aid trained female aviators who can fly the necessary paramedical services across countries. WAASPS.com has an NGO arm, Medicine On The Move (medicine-onthemove.org). The work they can perform in small communities can be endless whilst the WAASPS students are clocking their hours thus enabling them to move onto other positions across the continent.  The current fragile road and rail infrastructure across much of the continent calls for this service.

Through social networking services such as 'Twitter', pilots get informed and can assist or get doctors to scenes of accidents on land or water; but this is only in some nations across the continent. Social networking became a major success during the 2011 Ivoirian conflict, helping to bring in airborne support for those needing medical assistance otherwise provided by road.

Botswana already has their Police Force airborne and ready to assist in remote regions. The same could be done for the emergency services elsewhere with a little foresight.

There is much need across Africa for rural aviation. WAASPS.com seems to have cornered the market in Ghana, thanks to Ghana's Ministry of Transport and the Civil Aviation Authority. Africa is like Alaska, USA, but without the snow; it is full of communities whose main hope of socio-economic sustainability and health is by rural aviation-based solutions. There are areas where the distances are so great by land that air transport is the source of not only solace but also life for so many. Air transport needs to be rolled out in more parts of Africa to enable future female aviators get pilot training on the single and twin engine aircraft especially to support rural operations, before moving on with their careers with commercial ventures they may join later on.

Women can move this grassroots concept forward to enable women to train in aviation. Essentially women are less likely to move as expatriates should they have the means at home to carry their careers forward. Training, salaries and a family balance all form part of this, but it's not to say that women are work shy. If anything, women are keen to show their peers, both male and female, that they are up to the job. Even on maternity leave female aviators can add value to organizations. It is up to the predominantly male leaders in African aviation industry to show that they are flexible, that female pilots can be in an office during maternity leave and still show their aeronautical expertise.

WAFRIC supports the small and larger operations to ensure the future of female aviators. The goal is to see more women in aviation changing the current norms and values experienced across the continent. The short-term goal is to create an air roadshow, WAFRIC airborne, landing in small communities and educating the young, who as I usually say, think that the 'plane's driver is white and male'. This education can only be positive with children seeing an aircraft up close and getting a basic understanding of flight. What leaders should ask themselves is: "What is the female ratio in our organization? Where can we add value? Can we support rural operations to overcome the imbalance in the male/female ratio?"  There are some nations that have a more chauvinistic approach to their aviation industry. This has to be changed with women being welcomed into the domain before such countries lose their well-trained and valued workforce.

To be completely African and moving across the continent, the third annual WAFRIC Conference was planned for Accra, Ghana from 30th September to 2nd October, with the theme, "Succeeding as a Woman in Aviation: Lessons from Africa and Beyond." WAFRIC invited a number of renowned personalities involved in aviation from Ghana, other African nations and further afield as delegates and speakers. Much of the preceding networking has been enhanced by Aviation & Allied Business, which has been a tower of support.

Next year points towards a southern African nation for the WAFRIC Conference due to support from government ministers who embrace the conference to stem the braindrain. We solicit that the support be sustained in the long-term!