#2018yearofthewomen

Whilst reading Ama Ata Aidoo's anthology of short stories "The Girl Who Can", I came across a tale half-way through the book called "Heavy Moments". The story is a brief account of three women who became pilots and the protagonist, Akuba, had early notions of flying.  As a child, she rushed outside to observe the wonder of flight.

"As far as [Akuba] was concerned airplanes had always meant something different. She wanted to fly them” (P66 The Girl Who Can).

At the beginning of the story, there is a dedication, written by Ata-Aidoo

"This story is in salute of Melody Millicent Danquah, Ayele Komey & Joanna Araba Maanan Dickson, the three women who first dared to join the Ghana Airforce".

It then came to my attention that this story was based on three real women, pioneers of female aviation in Ghana, so, I began to research. The main character in Ama Ata Aidoo’s story, Akuba, is based on the real-life Melody Millicent Danquah credited with being the first female pilot on the African continent.

Melody Millicent Danquah

Beginnings

Her parents were Ibinjah Rexford Addo-Danquah, a registrar for a court and Selina Gyamfi. Melody was born in 1937 and was the sixth of ten siblings and attended Wesley Girls High School in the Cape Coast area of Ghana. She began a teaching career and entered government secretarial School in 1959. After this, she began working as a civil servant with the broadcasting director and also worked as an officer during the first presidential elections in Ghana.

Melody became interested in flying after allegedly reading an advertisement in the early 1960s that was calling on women to establish and develop a strong-armed force after Ghanaian independence. She was one of six women to be interviewed and three were successful including Melody, Ayele Kome and Joana Dickson. Motivated by the adventure and the novelty of the role Melody embarked on training and flew her first solo flight in June 1969. This feat made her the first Ghanaian and African female pilot ever to fly a plane solo. 

Melody’s skills and expertise became more evident when in October 1969 she was the only student plot allowed 10 minutes of solo flying during Air Force day. In 1965 she was presented with her wings as a qualified pilot by Kofi Baako, the minister of Defence. In 1968 her flying career ended, and she began a career in the administration department of the Air Force. By 1989 Melody was discharged from the force due to illness but was presented with a sought-after long service award and a medal for efficiency. She was also awarded by John Kufuor with the companion of the order of the Volta in recognition of her spirit and courage.

As if her flying career wasn't impressive enough, she gained a Diploma in Bible studies and Theology and had a side career as a lay preacher at the age of sixty. She also became a member of Board of Directors for the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration. These remarkable experiences highlight her tenacity and skill. 

Legacy

These women were trailblazers and pioneers. They were brave in the face of an unknown career path. Not only did Millicent apply to the Airforce, she and her colleagues excelled. During their tenure female pilots became more common in Ghana. I can only imagine the courage, determination and zest for life Millicent had to enable her to work, seek her passion and be successful in this profession. The discrimination and confusion she may have fired may have also been a barrier to her career.

References