Mercy Ships Africa Blog

Mother’s Tumor Removed Through a Chance Encounter with Mercy Ships

Une femme de 45 ans s'est vu retirer gratuitement une tumeur de la taille d'une orange après avoir été repérée par des membres de l'organisation humanitaire internationale Mercy Ships dans son village à Madagascar.

Serving With Mercy Ships: A Journey of Hope and Growth

Servir avec Mercy Ships est plus qu'un simple travail ; c'est un périple qui transforme non seulement la vie des patients, mais aussi celle des bénévoles et de l'équipage de jour qui se consacrent à cette cause. Pour Josoa Mino, un jeune homme de Madagascar, rejoindre l’ONG a ouvert des portes à des opportunités qu'il n'aurait jamais crues possibles.

From Traveling Nurse to Mercy Ships Volunteer: God’s Plan for Trent

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Without volunteers like Trent Yoder, Mercy Ships couldn’t provide surgeries for patients efficiently. As the team lead in the preoperative department, Trent coordinates the intake of patients seeking free surgical care on the Global Mercy™.

Impact in Action: How Partnership in Guinea Is Transforming Healthcare Access and Outcomes Across the Region

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A New Gift: Hope for Emmanuel

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Manteneh was a nearly defeated woman when she brought her 3-year-old son, Emmanuel, to Mercy Ships in January. She told doctors on the Global Mercy™ that several local hospitals in Freetown simply did not know what they could do to treat Emmanuel’s rare disorder, lymphangioma, so they turned her away. For Manteneh, Mercy Ships was their last chance. She explained how this all began. Shortly after her son was born, she noticed a white-colored swelling around his ear. Unsure of what to do, she compressed the area with warm water, but things began to worsen.

Mercy Ships Introduces Sterile Processing Training for Healthcare Workers in Freetown, Sierra Leone

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Mercy Ships’ Education, Training, and Advocacy (ETA) department is supporting a new program aimed at reducing surgical infection rates at Connaught Hospital in Freetown, Sierra Leone. As a component of its Safer Surgery program, 20 nurses are attending a two-week, hands-on training about sterilization processes. Mercy Ships has partnered with the Sterile Processing Education Charitable Trust (SPECT) to administer the training. SPECT is a nonprofit organization founded in 2013 to address a critical gap in healthcare: the lack of effective sterile processing education and training in resource-constrained settings.

“Real Sacrificial Heart”: The Story of a Hospital Director

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It’s been almost two decades since Merryl Mackenzie, now 65 years old, began her journey with Mercy Ships. In 2007, Merryl left her home in Australia and came to Ghana, West Africa – arriving on New Year’s Eve to serve as an operating room nurse on the Anastasis, just before it was retired. She worked alongside volunteer surgeon, Dr. Gary Parker, doing maxillofacial surgeries. Having taken a temporary leave of absence from the hospital where she worked, the mother of three stayed aboard the ship for three weeks in pursuit of a childhood dream.

Six Years to a New Life: Fudia’s Transformation Story

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By the age of 10 years old, Fudia had grown accustomed to the daily struggles of walking with severe bowed legs, including the curious looks from people and the ridicule of children in her community. According to Joseph, Fudia’s uncle and guardian, she was born with the orthopedic condition. “We noticed it the very first day she was born; her legs were not normal,” he shared. In their hometown in Sierra Leone, it is believed that continuous massaging of the legs with warm water will straighten out the legs, but despite this care, Fudia’s legs only became more bowed as she grew.

A Lifeline for Surgical Care in Africa: Collaboration Is Key 

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Last month, 40 African Health Ministers signed important agreements at the Pan-African Surgical Healthcare Forum (PASHeF) in Rwanda. These agreements are a big step towards making surgical care accessible to more people across Africa. In the near future, the goal is to have these formally adopted by the African Union (UA). This journey is one that Mercy Ships, the University of Global Health Equity (UGHE), the Rwanda Ministry of Health, and Smile Train walked together – to support and host this recent PASHeF meeting. Dr. Walt Johnson shares his thoughts on why these efforts are so important and why collaboration is vital for saving lives.