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TOAMASINA, MADAGASCAR – More than 120 community leaders, dignitaries and other guests gathered on board the hospital ship, the Africa Mercy® (May 15th) to celebrate the imminent start of international charity Mercy Ships’ impactful surgical interventions in Madagascar.

Mechanic whose toothache turned into tumor has life-changing surgery through charity Mercy Ships

A 21-year-old man is rejoicing after receiving free surgery from a charity to remove a tumor that had grown to half the size of his face.    Papa from Western Senegal was just a teenager when he noticed a small lump in his mouth. But despite hospital staff telling him it was just toothache and would heal, it continued to grow, causing him pain and partially blocking his sight. 

Reclaiming Life: Papa’s Story

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Papa has a photo of a motorcycle engine on the wall of his bedroom. At just 21 years old, he has already established himself as an exceptional mechanic, dedicating his days to mending and reviving motorbikes. “Fixing bikes has always been a passion for me since I was a child,” he says.  When a large tumor began growing from the left side of his face, not only did it put his health in jeopardy, but he feared that it would dash his prospects as a professional mechanic. “This work has a lot of physical demands; it is harder to do with a tumor in the way,” he explained. 

A Life-Altering Surgery for Hassan

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When a father passes away, a son struggles to remember as much about his dad as he can. Some of Hassan’s final memories of his father involved living with him while contracting the same condition that ultimately took his dad’s life: complications from an abdominal hernia.

The Impact of Timely Dental Care: Ibrahim’s Story

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When 13-year-old Ibrahim arrived at the Global Mercy™ in Freetown, Sierra Leone, the left side of his face was tremendously swollen, protruding well beyond the teen’s jawline. He’d developed a simple toothache when he was 9 years old, but left untreated, the problem worsened, and a big part of his jawbone became infected.

An Electrician’s Journey to Finding Purpose and Professional Growth

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When Jean Jacques Diouf climbed the gangway of the Africa Mercy® for the first time in his home country of Senegal, he’d packed his suitcase with enough supplies for just one week. He figured he wasn’t going to be on board for long. He’d only come to volunteer because he couldn’t say no to his father, who felt confident Mercy Ships would turn his son’s life around personally and professionally and advised him to just “go and see what happens.”  

THE MSC FOUNDATION, THE MSC GROUP AND MERCY SHIPS INTERNATIONAL JOIN FORCES TO BUILD A NEW HOSPITAL SHIP

Geneva, Switzerland - Lindale, Texas, United States, 22 April 2024 A groundbreaking agreement between MSC Group, MSC Foundation and the charity Mercy Ships International prepares for the construction of a brand-new hospital ship that will deliver free surgery and training annually to thousands of people in Africa. On 8 April, the chairman of MSC Group and MSC Foundation, Capt. Gianluigi Aponte, Diego Aponte, MSC Group President and Member of the MSC Foundation Board, and Mercy Ships Founder Don Stephens finalised an agreement to kickstart this new project with a generous anchor donation from MSC Foundation, reflecting the visionary leaders’ commitment to supporting access to critical healthcare for the generations to come.

A father’s love: Aissatou’s story

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2022 was not the first time that Ousmane had sought medical help for his daughter Aissatou. Since his little girl was born with a cleft lip four years earlier, he had been in pursuit of her healing. The family had visited multiple hospitals in Senegal, but none could provide the help they needed. Others in his village started to lose hope, telling Ousmane that his daughter’s cleft lip was beyond repair.

Bringing a Crew Together on the World’s Largest Civilian Hospital Ships

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It takes hundreds of volunteers to power Mercy Ships’ mission of following the model of Jesus to deliver safe and free surgeries via hospital ships. Those volunteers need to be equipped with professional skills in medicine, seafaring, accounting, cooking, and many other fields. They hail from countries around the world, and they must navigate long journeys, language barriers, visa procurement, and more logistics before they board the ship and begin serving. Through it all, the Mercy Ships People & Culture (P&C) team is beside them, offering crewmembers the support and expertise they need to succeed.

Patients across Madagascar complete registration for free surgeries on Mercy Ships

TOAMASINA, MADAGASCAR – International charity Mercy Ships has announced the successful completion of the Patient Registration Phase in Madagascar. This is a critical milestone towards provision of surgical care to underserved communities, bringing hope and healing to countless lives.   
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Africa Service Center (ASC)

Rue Thann, Immeuble Sea View,

Appartement 3ème étage à droite,

Dakar, SENEGAL

Africa Service Center (ASC)

Rue Thann, Immeuble Sea View,

Appartement 3ème étage à droite,

Dakar, SENEGAL

Tel: +221782967104 /776447017

africa@mercyships.org

© 2025 – Mercy Ships

Terms and conditions

Contact Us
News
Press
Videos

Africa Service Center (ASC)

Rue Thann, Immeuble Sea View,

Appartement 3ème étage à droite,

Dakar, SENEGAL

Africa Service Center (ASC)

Rue Thann, Immeuble Sea View,

Appartement 3ème étage à droite,

Dakar, SENEGAL

Tel: +221782967104 /776447017
africa@mercyships.org

© 2023 – Mercy Ships

Terms and conditions