Original version

BBC World Service Online

Migrated podcast image for: Outlook

Outlook

Factual: Life Stories

True stories of ordinary people and the extraordinary events that have shaped their lives

True stories of ordinary people and the extraordinary events that have shaped their lives.

Outlook: A Flying Elephant and the God of Sight

Elephant Max & Gary Roberts

07/09/2014

A Flying Elephant and the God of Sight

BBC World Service - Outlook, A Flying Elephant and the God of Sight

Flying elephants, Nepal's 'God of Sight' and Ukraine's paralympian training in a warzone

Matthew Bannister and the moving story of a baby elephant flown in a light plane. Plus Nepal's 'God of Sight', Kinshasa's unique orchestra and a paralympian training in a warzone.

Gary Roberts is a nurse and pilot, who works as a missionary in Chad. When he came across a herd of elephants that had been killed by poachers, he attempted to rescue the sole survivor - a baby elephant later named Max - which he then flew home in his small lightweight plane. 

Actress Sophie Woolley started going deaf at the age of 18 - and this had a dramatic effect on her life. She became introverted and found it difficult to interact with new and old friends. But a few months ago she regained her hearing thanks to a cochlear implant. She explains the effect this has had on her life.

Yaroslav Semenenko is a Ukrainian paralympic swimmer with no arms who lives and trains in the city of Donetsk. Our reporter Andriy Kravets spoke to Yaroslav at the International Paralympic Committee's European Swimming Championships held in Holland this August, where Yarslav won two gold medals and a silver. He spoke about what opportunities there are for disabled people in Ukraine and described what it's like trying to train in a war zone.

Armand Diangienda is the conductor of the Kinshasa Symphony Orchestra in Democratic Republic of the Congo which he founded in 1994.  It now has 200 performers who are about to travel to the UK for the first time, to play in the top concert halls. Armand tells Nicki Paxman how he created this ensemble from scratch in one of the poorest cities in the world.

In Nepal, Dr Sanduk Ruit is known as 'the God of Sight'.  He is an eye surgeon who has developed a quick, cheap, low-tech operation to correct cataracts. He and his team perform the operations in remote parts of the Himalayas, restoring the sight of thousands who would otherwise be unable to access healthcare. He's how training surgeons in other developing countries to carry out the op. 

(Picture: Gary Roberts with Max the baby elephant flying in his small plane. Credit: Gary Roberts)

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Outlook

A Flying Elephant and the God of Sight

Genres

Brand

BBC World Service Online

About BBC World Service