With so many crewmembers on board, our hospital ships often look like small cities.

Marijke and her husband Harmen joined Mercy Ships thanks to a dream she had as a child. 

Lucael’s mother was only 14 when he was born. She was shocked by his cleft lip and palate.  

Every three to ten minutes a child is born with cleft lip or palate — a major problem in developing countries. 

Penda is a 23-year-old lab technician in Senegal. She worked onboard our hospital ship, the Africa Mercy, in radiology.  

Our hospital ship includes an accredited academy for children of the crew. Every Friday, the second-grade class distributes handwritten Bible verses.

Our hospital ships are teaming with life. From our patients to our crew, there’s always something happening on board.

A common farming technique in Africa is the slash-and-burn method. Our Mercy Ships agricultural program teaches less damaging methods that produce more abundant crops.  

Thirteen-year-old Rayhanatou suffered from a tumor in her jaw for five years. Her family couldn’t afford medical care, even if it had been available. 

In 2019, 32 men and women in Guinea participated in our Mercy Ships Food for Life program.