Adventure of a lifetime
The HOPE Centre is a safe, clean 222-bed off-ship centre staffed by Mercy Ships day workers where patients and their families could stay while waiting for or recovering from surgery. This was funded totally by Canadian donors.
A recent graduate of the Continuing Care program at the Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) Middleton Campus, Dee said the experience reinforced his desire to earn a nursing degree. He feels he made the right decision turning his focus from forest technology to health care.
His time volunteering served as a great introduction to the ship and a way to get his foot in the door. Sailing on board for two weeks gave him a unique opportunity to get to know everyone on the crew. He hopes to return to volunteer in a medical capacity in the future.
“It was a great experience with some really great people who are very passionate about what they do,” Dee said. “Basically, when I left I told everyone that I was going to be back and that I’ll be wearing blue scrubs next time.”
He said if people are interested in volunteering on board a Mercy Ship, especially the Africa Mercy, “they should definitely do it.”
Dee first learned about the The Africa Mercy is the world’s largest non-governmental floating hospital.
world’s largest charity hospital ship a few years ago while watching a documentary on the Discovery Channel, part of the series Mighty Ships.
He said the possibility of volunteering on the Africa Mercy piqued his interest. He decided to apply online for an onboard housekeeping position and was accepted.
With five operating theatres and an 82-bed ward, the Africa Mercy is the world’s largest nongovernmental
floating hospital.
Mercy Ships, the Christian organization behind the Africa Mercy, believes health care is an essential service that everyone should have access to. Dee shares this vision. If someone needs medical attention that can be provided by the professionals onboard their vessels, they don’t discriminate.
Founded in 1978, Mercy Ships is an international organization with a team of nurses, doctors, surgeons, and other crewmembers from all over the world that donate their time to help on board.
With 75 per cent of the world’s population living within 150 km of a port city, Mercy Ships can reach people who live with little or no health care in some of the poorest parts of the world.