Bringing hope to the South Pacific
AT THE BEGINNING of May the MV Pacific Hope – a floating hospital – left Auckland for a six-month medical relief programme in Vanuatu, bringing aid to one of the poorest and most isolated Pacific Island communities.
The 54m vessel is equipped with surgical facilities, mainly for dental and optical care. These are operated by around 60 volunteers, nurses and doctors from around the world.
She’s run by Tauranga-based aid group Marine Reach, the maritime arm of Youth With A Mission (YWAM). YWAN is a notfor-profit organisation geared to the needs of poor and needy South Pacific nations. Marine Reach has been working in AsiaPacific waters since 1990.
The organisation runs three other similar medically-equipped vessels (MV Pacific Ruby, MV Island Mercy and MV Pacific Link) providing free medical care throughout the South Pacific. Over the past 23 years the ships have served more than 450,000 people and distributed approximately $50 million worth of medical care and equipment in 20 South Pacific nations.
Built in Japan, Pacific Hope was formerly a marine training vessel before being bought by Marine Reach in July 2013. Her refit included transforming the aft accommodation area into a medical clinic to accommodate dental and optical activity. NZ$40,000 of dental equipment was purchased thanks to a Rotary Club grant.
Marine Reach founder David Cowie says the volunteer programme attracts a lot of retired seamen from New Zealand looking to find new meaning in their retirement. “They are very welcome because we are always looking for individuals wanting to give back.”
On arrival in Vanuatu the ship will be based at its Family Care Centre on the outskirts of Port Vila and will take outreach trips to neighbouring islands. This includes distributing five large water tanks and hundreds of metres of piping for a new water project on Tanna Island.
The vessel is self-sustained: it makes all its own fresh water and power and can create enough to provide for an entire village. She can carry 150 tonnes of humanitarian and emergency relief supplies.
Anyone interested in helping or sailing with the ship should call 07 543 3787 or e-mail info-nz@marinereach.com.