Mercy Ships Africa Blog

As Awa grew up in her village, she encountered the hardships of living with a cleft lip. “People in my village did not cast her out, but they laughed at her, and she was ashamed. They would say ‘look at how your mouth and lip are’, which made her embarrassed. She used to hide her mouth with her hand,” said Rougui. Both Awa’s parents and her uncle kept looking for an answer to their prayers, but they couldn’t see any solution in their future.

“Serving my own country, it’s a blessing for me,” David said. “When I’m giving back to my own people, it boosts my happiness, my health, and my sense of wellbeing.” In February, as the Africa Mercy heads to South Africa for a period of maintenance, David and the crew of the new Global Mercy will set sail for Dakar. This time they’ll be serving not only the people of Senegal, but their neighbors in The Gambia as well. For Senegalese crewmembers, this field service is a powerful opportunity to make an impact not abroad, but at home. After all, home is where they’ve seen the need firsthand.

In a rural town in southern Senegal lives 5-year-old Awa, surrounded by her loving family. She has always been close with them – especially with her Uncle Woury. Since the moment Awa was born with a cleft lip, her uncle’s greatest wish was that she would someday find healing.