Mercy Ships UK Onboard Magazine | Summer 2021 by Mercy Ships UK

mercyships.org.uk | Spring 2021 | Issue 13

Onboard magazine Welcome

Dear Mercy Ships supporter,

Find out what makes Salematou smile on page 8

Welcome to Issue 13 of Onboard magazine filled with inspiring news and moving stories of how your generosity and kindness are providing life-changing medical care and strengthening the health systems of some of the poorest African nations. We are so glad you are part of our Mercy Ships family.

Thank you for helping Aminata to smile! Read her story on page 4

We hope that you know how much we appreciate your gifts, your time, and the skills you share so generously with patients like Aminata whose story you can read on pages 4 and 5 of this magazine. Aminata hid in the shadows when other children made fun of her cleft lip. She was so ashamed of how her mouth looked that she stopped eating in front of other people. Supporters like you enabled our volunteer doctors and nurses to operate on Aminata’s cleft lip and put a smile back on her face.

You are the reason our patients smile, as they take their first steps towards lives free from pain, suffering and shame – that is why we want to celebrate your support of Mercy Ships during National Smile Month. Find out what UK volunteer, Dr Kwok has been up to in Uganda on page 10

Founded in 1978 by Don and Deyon Stephens, Mercy Ships is a faith-based organisation that follows the 2,000-year old model of Jesus to bring hope and healing to those suffering from disability, disfigurement, and disease.

So, take a few moments today to read the latest Onboard magazine and see for yourself the transformations you have made possible and the smiles you have put on the faces of our patients, university students, local doctors, nurses, and many more.

Thank you once again for being a vital partner of Mercy Ships.

We deploy hospital ships to low and middleincome countries (LMICs) in the African continent, delivering free surgical care and medical training to those in need.

Mercy Ships UK, The Lighthouse, 12 Meadway Court, Stevenage SG1 2EF mercyships.org.uk 01438 727800 info@mercyships.org.uk

Registered Charity No: 1053055. Registered Charity in Scotland No. SC039743. 02 Company No: 3147724 (England and Wales)

Onboard magazine Reflection

Above: Local fishing boats pictured against the backdrop of the Africa Mercy.

Same storm, different boats In the UK, during the various lockdowns, we had a firsthand experience of what life would be like without easy access to doctors, dentists and hospitals. Painful toothaches went untreated. GPs had to triage appointments. Hundreds of operations were postponed. But now, with the UK vaccine roll-out, this summer dawns with hope on the horizon. Yet, in the poorest African nations, painful toothaches are persisting. Lumps are growing on people’s gums, turning into tumours. Cleft-lips that should be repaired soon after birth, or painful scars from terrible burns, are being carried into adulthood.

Looking at the passing pandemic storm you and I, here in the UK, are beginning to realise that we are in a ‘ship’, metaphorically speaking, whilst millions in Africa are clinging to flimsy lifeboats. In truth, nine in ten people in sub-Saharan Africa cannot access even basic surgical care. We believe this is unfair and unjust. Mercy Ships passionately believes that everyone in the world should have access to safe and affordable surgery. We’re sure you agree. That’s why we are so grateful and inspired by your partnership and support as you provide free life-changing surgeries to those who need them most. Thank you for your willingness to help those who are in a ‘different boat’ during this storm we’re facing. Your generosity and kindness are the reason for all the beautiful smiles you see in this magazine.

Sadly, all these treatable conditions carry a social stigma, leaving those afflicted feeling ashamed and shunned by their families and communities. The truth is, we all faced the same storm during the pandemic, but we have not all been in the same boat, when it comes to accessing life-saving medical care.

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Joanne Balaam, Chief Executive Officer

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Onboard magazine Aminata’s story

Thank you for putting a smile on Aminata’s face

Eight-year-old Aminata was born with a cleft lip – a treatable birth defect that occurs when a baby’s lip or mouth do not develop properly during pregnancy. But, unlike a child born with this condition in the UK or elsewhere in the developed world, Aminata was born in a remote farming village in Guinea. And her condition left untreated turned this beautiful, kind-hearted girl into an outcast.

herself, so much so that she stopped going out to play with the other children. Even at home with her family, Aminata would only eat when she was alone. She started to lose weight and stopped growing. Her mother cried every day because she couldn’t afford to get her daughter the surgery she needed. But, one day the news of a hospital ship arriving at the port of Conakry changed everything for Aminata and her family.

Her mother and uncle felt helpless and tried to find someone to help her. “Since Aminata’s birth we have been looking for help everywhere”, said her uncle Ousman, “But we did not have the means to pay for an operation to repair her cleft lip.” As Aminata grew older, people in her village began to tease her about the way she looked. Sadly, they could not see beyond her deformity to notice this gentle and kind-hearted girl. And all Aminata could do was hide her mouth with her hands when other children laughed at her. Imagine the pain she must have felt being an outcast at such a young age. This made her feel ashamed of

Onboard magazine Aminata’s story

Aminata’s uncle had always fought for his beautiful niece, looking for ways to help her. So, when he heard that the Africa Mercy had docked at the port of Conakry, he rushed to collect Aminata from the village and drove her straight to our hospital ship. Although he arrived too late to sign her up for surgery he did not give up! He came up the gangway of our hospital ship in search of help,

“ Please help my niece if you can,” said Ousman. “You are our only hope and we will be forever grateful to God and Mercy Ships.” Later that day, Aminata walked up the gangplank of the Africa Mercy holding the hand of one of the local nurses who gently calmed her fears. “At first, Aminata was very shy and quiet,” said nurse Susy Horta who looked after her. “But as the days passed, she became more and more comfortable.” Thanks to the generosity of Mercy Ships supporters like you, and the expertise of our dedicated volunteer medical team, Aminata received free life-changing surgery onboard our hospital ship. When she came back from the surgery in the patient recovery area you could see in her eyes that something was different.

“Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for giving Aminata this beautiful smile she now wears every day.”

Aminata’s fear had gone. Her beautiful eyes were shining bright with hope, and she looked at the nurses and other children with newly gained confidence.

From an outcast to a smiling girl bursting with life When she got back to her village Aminata was greeted with cheers and hugs from the other children who were waiting for her. With a beaming smile on her face Aminata joined them and started jumping and dancing, filled with joy. ‘‘Fighting for her, so she could have a better future is the best thing I ever did,” said her uncle looking at Aminata playing with her friends.

Your special gift to Mercy Ships today will help more patients like Aminata. Please give at

www.mercyships.org.uk/smile LinkedIn /mercy-ships-uk

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Onboard magazine 22 years of the Africa Mercy

Birthday Happy

to the Africa Mercy

In March 1999, just over 22 years ago, with help from supporters like you, Mercy Ships bought the vessel that became the Africa Mercy. The ship was formally a Danish rail ferry before being converted into the largest charity hospital ship in the world.

Follow Followus uson onsocial socialmedia media/mercyshipsuk /mercyshipsuk

Onboard magazine 22 years of the Africa Mercy

field services across 13 African nations (all ships)

Home to

100s

of volunteers from 40 nations

Providing

£1.3 billion worth of free medical services

Performing nearly

35,000 free surgeries

Transforming the lives of over

32,000 people

100s

of local professionals receiving vital training

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Onboard magazine The future smile maker

Salematou: The future smile maker Salematou is a student at the Mercy Ships dental training programme at Gamal University in Guinea. And she has got some big dreams for her future. In African nations like Guinea, access to dental health services is limited and teeth and gum infections are often left untreated. Lack of access to dental care results in unnecessary pain and suffering, tumours, and reduced quality of life. The good news is that this is changing, thanks to the dedication and vision of young dentists like Salematou and Mercy Ships investment in her training. “I want to save someone’s life through my hands and play my part in improving people’s dental health in my country,’’ says Salematou, who is specialising in dentistry and public health. Thanks to the partnership between Mercy Ships and the dental school at Gamal University in Guinea many students like Salematou are now able to access the training and tools they need to become the best dentists they can be. The dental school has remained open for much of the last year, with Mercy Ships support and supplies. “ After completing this training programme, I will be fully equipped to provide dental services to people of all ages here in Guinea.” “With the arrival of Mercy Ships, we are benefiting so much from practical courses with modern instruments and high-quality dental equipment. All these assets are such wonders,” marvelled Salematou.

What motivates Salematou is the satisfaction she gets from seeing the healthy smiles of her patients.

Onboard magazine News

Celebrating #NationalSmileMonth: The Guinea dentistry project Working with the Guinean Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene and the Gamal University in Conakry, Mercy Ships created a brand new, state of the art dental clinic at the university. Dr David Ugai, who heads our Medical Capacity Building programme for dentistry and 13 Mercy Ships volunteers, provided training and mentoring to staff and students at the dental clinic. “Working with the dentists and dental students has been a mutually beneficial learning project,” Dr Ugai said. “The dentists and students are now equipped and motivated to provide excellent care for their patients. It has been a privilege and honour to work with these very skilled professionals.” Through medical capacity building programmes like this, Mercy Ships works with our Africa partners to strengthen their healthcare systems through training, infrastructure and mentoring. They are putting smiles on the faces of students and patients alike. Before Mercy Ships arrived, dental students trained for seven years without ever seeing a real patient. Now they learn in a fully equipped, state of the art teaching facility.

Providing free PPE to medical professionals in Senegal and Benin During this challenging time, Mercy Ships remains committed to supporting medical professionals in our partner countries across Africa. Recently Mercy Ships presented 80,000 items of vital personal protective equipment (PPE) to Senegal’s Ministry of Health, underlining the fact that our response to global health issues is always stronger when we work together. Also, as part of its second donation tour to 11 African partner nations, we recently provided more than 74,000 pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) to Benin’s Ministry of Health to support the government’s response to COVID-19.

Below: Ly Cheick receives dental treatment at the Gamal Dental School in Guinea.

Ly Cheick’s tumor could have ruined his life… What started out as an annoying toothache for Ly Cheick, over time turned into a painful facial tumour. However, after he was examined at the Gamal Dental School in Guinea, Ly Cheick was able to get his surgery scheduled and performed by a local surgeon and Mercy Ships partner Professor Raphiou Diallo.

This is what strengthening a healthcare system looks like – true partnership and capacity building to leave a lasting legacy for the future.

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Onboard magazine News

Joe Biney, Third Officer

Third Officer volunteers are fantastic...

Find your place onboard at www.mercyships.org.uk/beahero

They are not only in charge of the safety of crew from all over the world, but they also help keep our ships operational for the thousands of patients onboard. Thank you to Third Officers for all you do!

Growing effective partnerships A shout out to the local day crew Did you know that our day crew are often amongst the first faces our patients see after having their cataract removal surgeries onboard the Africa Mercy?

UK volunteer and one of Mercy Ships anaesthesiologists, Dr Sarah Kwok, recently served with our partner CURE International, at their children’s hospital in Uganda. This hospital, which has been open during the pandemic, is helping children who need specialised neurological care for conditions like hydrocephalus.

These local professionals work tirelessly to help transform lives and improve healthcare in their home nations. Thank you!

Sarah Kwok said, “The children here have life-threatening conditions and the surgeries we perform daily are changing their lives and giving them a future. I have joined a team of amazing anaesthesia providers and we are learning so much from each other.“

Here, six-year-old Mariama works on improving her vision after her operation in Senegal, with a member of the day crew by her side to lend a helping hand.

“My hope is that CURE and Mercy Ships will continue to partner together to provide the highest standards of care for every child who needs our help.”

Onboard magazine News

To our friends at Mercy Ships,

en running of volunteers have be In Hale Village, a group have r 40 years now, and we a Coffee Shop for ove years. the r ove ses while cau donated to many worth baking ing lud inc y, tar tirely volun This work has been en cakes and scones. ter about recently received a let One of the volunteers d we were an ica Afr in Ships team the work of the Mercy ed by eiv rec y ger -changing sur ver y moved by the life him. Vernel and others like

Fancy a coffee and cake for a great cause? We are delighted and inspired by the dedication and generosity of a group of ladies from the village of Hale in Liverpool, who raised a generous donation for Mercy Ships through their charity coffee shop. Thank you so much!

t Coast d I cruised up the Eas In 2019 my husband an e of the on on car off at Madagas of Africa and stopped ver y w ho see to re saddened organised trips. We we Ship rcy Me a see but happy to basic the hospital was st. moored just off the coa like you to e Shop Ladies, I would On behalf of our Coffe we hope ich wh que for £5000 accept the enclosed che ica. Afr in rk towards your wo you will be able to use rs and your volunteer docto Our best wishes to all about re ward to hearing mo nurses and we look for Ships. your work on the Mercy On behalf of the Hale

Village Coffee Shop

Want to fundraise for Mercy Ships? Could you host a tea party and raise funds for Mercy Ships? Why not invite friends or neighbours to pop the kettle on and have a socially distanced get together outside whilst raising funds for a great cause.

7–8th May, 2021 Join Ropa Rusere, our Volunteer Recruitment Manager, and our friends at Rotary in Great Britain and Ireland at the virtual Volunteer Expo Online. This national event connects volunteers, organisations and the charity sector to harness the power of volunteering. Register for your free ticket at

volunteerexpo@vfairs.com

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Ropa wil

l run a p resenta

tion and live

Q& A

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Skill Sunday Part of a church? Do you ever wonder what skills and talents are hidden in your church family that could help others? We’ve put together a free ‘Skill Sunday’ church pack filled with songs, prayers, sermon ideas and stories that you can use to inspire your congregation to serve and volunteer one Sunday – whether your service is in person or online.

Download your FREE Skill Sunday pack today

mercyships.org.uk/sunday Registered Charity No: 1053055. Registered Charity in Scotland No. SC039743. Company No: 3147724 (England and Wales)