Mercy Ships

Mercy Ships is a global charity that was founded in 1978 by Don Stephens and Deyon Stephens, who were part of Youth with a Mission (YWAM); a worldwide missionary organization. Mercy Ships used to belong to YWAM, but was released in 2002 because of many differences. Mercy Ships operates the largest non-governmental hospital ship in the world, providing free health care, community development, agriculture and water projects, mental health programs, AIDS/HIV prevention and care to terminally ill patients in developing nations around the world, with a focus on West Africa. Their current flagship, the Africa Mercy, is serving in Lomé, Togo for the 2010 Field Service.

Mercy Ships is anchored by its International Operations Center (IOC) located in Garden Valley, Texas. Mercy Ships also has national offices in 17 nations worldwide including Spain, Britain, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, The Netherlands, South Africa and Australia. Mercy Ships also operates two land-based centers in Sierra Leone. The West Africa Fistula Center, Sierra Leone serves over 5,000 children per year and provides surgical services for vesico-vaginal fistulas. The New Steps Center provides rehabilitative services and distributes wheelchairs and other mobility devices.

Mercy Ships currently has one vessel:

• M/V Africa Mercy
• 2010 - Currently docked in Lomé, Togo for the 2010 Field Service. The Africa Mercy will move onto South Africa in August.
• 2009 - Docked in Cotonou, Benin from February to December conducting free surgeries and medical care for the people of Benin. Mercy Ships also worked with Beninese citizens on agriculture and water development projects on the ground in Benin.

Earlier vessels include:

• M/V Anastasis - Retired, June 2007.
• M/V Caribbean Mercy - Retired, May 2005.
• M/V Island Mercy - Retired in Spring 2001.

The volunteer Mercy Ships crew comprise 1000 career crew^{[citation needed]} and over 2000 short-term volunteers from over 40 nations serve each year.^{[citation needed]}

History

Since 1978, Mercy Ships has performed more than 1.7 million services valued in excess of US $670 million and affecting more than 1.9 million people as direct beneficiaries. ^{[citation needed]}

Some of the more notable statistics include:

• more than 32,500 surgeries such as cleft lip and palate, cataract removal, straightening of crossed eyes, orthopedic and facial reconstruction;
• treated more than 212,000 people in village medical clinics;^{[citation needed]}
• performed more than 183,000 dental treatments;^{[citation needed]}
• taught nearly 14,500 local health care and professional workers, who have in turn trained many others in primary health care;^{[citation needed]}
• taught nearly 95,000 local people in primary health care;^{[citation needed]}
• trained local medical professionals in modern health care techniques;^{[citation needed]}
• delivered more than $60 million USD of medical equipment, hospital supplies and medicines;^{[citation needed]}
• completed more than 900 community development projects including construction of schools, clinics, orphanages, water wells and agriculture programs;^{[citation needed]} and
• visited over 550 total ports in 70 different nations.^{[citation needed]}

*It should be noted that Mercy Ships was part of Youth With A Mission (YWAM) from 1978 until 2003. YWAM is an international, interdenominational Christian mission organization.

External links

• Mercy Ships website
• Mercy Ships Fleet and Program information
• Mercy Ships on Twitter
• Mercy Ships National Office Locations