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| The plane-builder of South Sudan | The plane-builder of South Sudan |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| George Mel has dreamed of flying since he was a boy, but when his father died he had to give up his studies, and any chance of training to be a pilot. Instead he built a plane in his back yard - which so impressed his country's air force that it gave him a job. | George Mel has dreamed of flying since he was a boy, but when his father died he had to give up his studies, and any chance of training to be a pilot. Instead he built a plane in his back yard - which so impressed his country's air force that it gave him a job. |
| "I've had the passion to become an aeronautic engineer since I was young," says George Mel, a 23-year-old, who lives in Juba, the capital of South Sudan. | "I've had the passion to become an aeronautic engineer since I was young," says George Mel, a 23-year-old, who lives in Juba, the capital of South Sudan. |
| "I love to make aircraft. | "I love to make aircraft. |
| "When I was still young I tried to fly. I got curtains and put metal in to form wings, and got on top of the roof. I wanted to see if I would fly like a bird, but I fell. I almost broke my leg." | "When I was still young I tried to fly. I got curtains and put metal in to form wings, and got on top of the roof. I wanted to see if I would fly like a bird, but I fell. I almost broke my leg." |
| Despite such early disappointments, Mel set out to learn as much as he could about aviation. | Despite such early disappointments, Mel set out to learn as much as he could about aviation. |
| He went to study at high school in Uganda, but in 2011, as he was preparing for his final exams, his father died, leaving him unable to pay his tuition fees. | He went to study at high school in Uganda, but in 2011, as he was preparing for his final exams, his father died, leaving him unable to pay his tuition fees. |
| He had no choice but to give up his studies and come home. | He had no choice but to give up his studies and come home. |
| But he continued to do whatever he could to teach himself aeronautics. | But he continued to do whatever he could to teach himself aeronautics. |
| Losing his father was bad, Mel says, but it also seemed to give him the space to pursue his goal. | Losing his father was bad, Mel says, but it also seemed to give him the space to pursue his goal. |
| "When I didn't go to school I had a lot of time," he says. | "When I didn't go to school I had a lot of time," he says. |
| "My brain was released to do a lot of research. I didn't just sit down… I stuck to my dreams and I started doing them practically and researching a lot." | "My brain was released to do a lot of research. I didn't just sit down… I stuck to my dreams and I started doing them practically and researching a lot." |
| He painstakingly gathered the materials to build an aircraft, scouring Juba's metal workshops to piece together an aluminium airframe, and importing two small petrol engines to power it. | He painstakingly gathered the materials to build an aircraft, scouring Juba's metal workshops to piece together an aluminium airframe, and importing two small petrol engines to power it. |
| Using a garden chair for the pilot's seat, he put the aircraft together with information he found in old textbooks and on the internet. | |
| In late 2013, South Sudan slid towards civil war amid a power struggle between the country's two top politicians. | In late 2013, South Sudan slid towards civil war amid a power struggle between the country's two top politicians. |
| But Mel continued working on his aircraft even as the conflict spilled on to the streets around his family compound. | But Mel continued working on his aircraft even as the conflict spilled on to the streets around his family compound. |
| Shooting could be heard in his neighbourhood as fighting approached the United Nations mission close to Mel's home. | Shooting could be heard in his neighbourhood as fighting approached the United Nations mission close to Mel's home. |
| "I didn't stop my project," he says, "I kept on doing it in my research centre. I just locked myself inside, and did my work. | "I didn't stop my project," he says, "I kept on doing it in my research centre. I just locked myself inside, and did my work. |
| "A lot of people left the place but I didn't move anywhere. I didn't know where to go, so I kept on doing my work." | "A lot of people left the place but I didn't move anywhere. I didn't know where to go, so I kept on doing my work." |
| Mel's "research centre" is his own room, where his bed sits alongside pieces of aircraft. | Mel's "research centre" is his own room, where his bed sits alongside pieces of aircraft. |
| "You can see wooden propellers here, and UAVs, because these were my interest, this is what I focused on. | "You can see wooden propellers here, and UAVs, because these were my interest, this is what I focused on. |
| "This is where I sleep, and the same place where I do my research, because they don't have any working places like hangars at the moment." | "This is where I sleep, and the same place where I do my research, because they don't have any working places like hangars at the moment." |
| Occasionally, as the family bread-winner in one of Africa's least developed economies, he has deemed it wise to conceal his activities from the rest of the household. | Occasionally, as the family bread-winner in one of Africa's least developed economies, he has deemed it wise to conceal his activities from the rest of the household. |
| "Sometimes when I bring materials I sneak them into the house through the fence so they will not see. If they see, they will start saying I'm wasting money on crazy stuff," he says. | "Sometimes when I bring materials I sneak them into the house through the fence so they will not see. If they see, they will start saying I'm wasting money on crazy stuff," he says. |
| But when Mel eventually took his work to the South Sudan Air Force, officers were impressed and gave him a job in their IT department. | But when Mel eventually took his work to the South Sudan Air Force, officers were impressed and gave him a job in their IT department. |
| He is now hoping to get a scholarship to study aeronautical engineering abroad. | He is now hoping to get a scholarship to study aeronautical engineering abroad. |
| So far the authorities in Juba have refused Mel permission to test-fly his ultra-light, restricting him to taxi-ing the aircraft in his yard. | So far the authorities in Juba have refused Mel permission to test-fly his ultra-light, restricting him to taxi-ing the aircraft in his yard. |
| But he remains determined to realise his ambitions, for himself and for the future of his country. | But he remains determined to realise his ambitions, for himself and for the future of his country. |
| One of his aims is to develop a farming drone to spray crops, though in the long run, of course, he wants to design and build full-size planes. | One of his aims is to develop a farming drone to spray crops, though in the long run, of course, he wants to design and build full-size planes. |
| On the tail of his first aircraft he has painted the South Sudanese flag, along with the words: "We have a future". | On the tail of his first aircraft he has painted the South Sudanese flag, along with the words: "We have a future". |
| "I'm very hopeful. What happened has happened and we have to move on with life," says Mel. | "I'm very hopeful. What happened has happened and we have to move on with life," says Mel. |
| "So we forget about the past and struggle for the future. Mainly as the youth we need to do our level best and lift up this country. | "So we forget about the past and struggle for the future. Mainly as the youth we need to do our level best and lift up this country. |
| "It's logic. The youth are the future of the country." | "It's logic. The youth are the future of the country." |
| George Mel spoke to Outlook on the BBC World Service. Listen again on iPlayer or get the Outlook podcast. | George Mel spoke to Outlook on the BBC World Service. Listen again on iPlayer or get the Outlook podcast. |
| Subscribe to the BBC News Magazine's email newsletter to get articles sent to your inbox. | Subscribe to the BBC News Magazine's email newsletter to get articles sent to your inbox. |