MAF in Brazil (served by an MAF affiliate organisation – Asas de Socorro)
In 1956, Mission Aviation Fellowship initiated a flight service to missions serving on Brazil’s frontiers. As that effort expanded, the Brazilian entity Asas de Socorro (ADS) was incorporated in 1964. By the early 80’s MAF assets (aircraft, equipment and buildings) were transferred to ADS.
Today, ADS is an autonomous Brazilian entity incorporated under Brazilian law as a non-profit Public Service with a Brazilian Board of Directors and Brazilian operational leadership. However, at ADS’s initiation, some expatriate persons serve ADS on an “on loan” basis.
Brazilian law requires that expatriate pilots on loan to ADS be replaced by Brazilian technicians. Extremely demanding conditions require Brazilian personnel of the highest motivational and technical standards. ADS has established a school to prepare pilots and engineers for the types of flying done Brazil. (There is also a workshop that services the needs of the fleet and those of other organisations).
The goal of ADS is to support missions and churches which are preaching the Gospel and bringing humanitarian support in hard-to-reach places in the Amazon basin region of Brazil. In 1985, ADS started Project Amde. This was in co-operation with doctors and medical teams, taking them to difficult to reach areas and bringing medical care to people in need. Asas is also involved with youth projects, to reach communities.
There are 10 aircraft in the fleet including: 1 Lake amphibious, 2 Cessna 206, 1 Cessna amphibious 206, 1 Cessna amphibious 208, 2 Cessna 172, 1 Cherokee Arrow.
The full-time staff consists of 3 international staff members (plus spouses) including approximately 35 national staff.
Demographics
Brazil has the 108th lowest Human Development Index rating in the world.
- Population: 191,908,598 (UK: 61 million)
- Birth rate: 16 births/1,000 population (UK: 11 births/1,000)
- Life expectancy at birth: 73 years (UK: 79 years)
- Population under 15 years: 25% (UK: 17%)
- High infant mortality: 1 in 37 die at birth (UK: 1 in 200 die at birth)
- Population below the poverty line: 31 %
- HIV/AIDS adult prevalence rate: 0.7% of population (UK: 0.2%)
- Literacy rate: 88.6% (UK: 99%)
Infrastructure
Vast distances and dense rainforest isolates many remote communities
- Area of the country: 3,286,488 sq km (UK: 94,525 sq miles)
- 1, 088, 560 miles of roads, but only 59, 871 miles of paved roads (UK: 241,104 miles – all paved)
- 4,263 landing strips of which only 718 are paved
Economy
Brazil continues to pursue industrial and agricultural growth and development of its interior. Exploiting vast natural resources and a large labour pool, it is today South America's leading economic power and a regional leader. Highly unequal income distribution and crime remain pressing problems.
- Main exports include transport equipment, iron ore, soybeans, footwear, coffee, autos
Environment
There are a number of serious environmental concerns:
- Deforestation in Amazon Basin destroys the habitat and endangers a multitude of plant and animal species indigenous to the area
- there is a lucrative illegal wildlife trade
- air and water pollution in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, and several other large cities
- land degradation and water pollution caused by improper mining activities
- wetland degradation; severe oil spills
Climate
Mostly tropical, but temperate in south
Religion
Freedom of religion and separation of church and state. There is still a residual bias to Catholicism in government circles.
- Roman Catholic (nominal) 73.6%
- Protestant 15.4%
- Spiritualist 1.3%
- Bantu/voodoo 0.3%
- other 1.8%
- unspecified 0.2%
- none 7.4%