In Africa, we provide free medical care
Every year, more than 2,000 surgeries and 8,000 dental treatments are performed
free of charge for people living in poverty in Africa.
This medical care is made possible by the donations we receive and the commitment of 1,600 volunteers
who have been joining us on humanitarian aid missions every year for over 40 years!
To carry out these missions, we use a fleet of civilian hospital ships: the Africa Mercy and the Global Mercy.
Medical care that changes lives
Assiatou, Mabouba, Houssainatou, Léon… and so many others who can smile again thanks
to the health care and surgeries performed by Mercy Ships volunteer crews.
Discover their incredible stories
Mariama: Love and Faith Over Fear
Meet Mariama, who experienced a life transformed after receiving surgery for bowed legs on board a hospital ship.
Sira: After Years of Waiting, Healing Has Come
Meet Sira, whose life was transformed after receiving surgery on board a hospital ship.
Awa: A Life-Changing Surgery
A little girl’s future is changed by surgery through Mercy Ships.
Adama: Free to Explore
Meet Adama, whose cleft lip surgery on board a hospital ship not only transformed her own life, but her family’s as well.
Cire: A Life-Changing Birthday Gift
Meet Cire, who on his 20th birthday, received life-changing surgery to remove his facial tumor on board a hospital ship.
Amadou: The Patient Ambassador
Amadou is a doctor, a leader, and a pillar of hope in his community and received surgery on a hospital ship.
We’ve seen firsthand the challenges that arise when people don't have access to safe and timely healthcare. It weakens communities and leaves individuals vulnerable.
Mercy Ships has been offering free healthcare
for over 40 years.
- Two surgical ships, the Global Mercy and the Africa Mercy.
- Over 1,600 qualified volunteers from all over the world serve annually.
- Mentorship and training programs support local medical professionals in achieving long-term success.
Mercy Ships, a Heartfelt Story
Since 1978, Mercy Ships has been providing medical care, surgeries and
dental treatment to people living in poverty in Africa.
More than 5 million people do not have access to basic health care,
even though this should be a right for every human being.
This situation is not inevitable. You can help by:
1
Making a Donation
Every contribution counts. Every donation is a step in the right direction, making a difference in the life of someone in need of basic medical care. Be a part of that change by making a donation now.
2
Becoming a Volunteer
Would you like to do more than just make a donation, and join us in helping those who need it most? Become a volunteer and join our crews who work on the ground every day.
3
Talking About Us
Are you unable to help us with a donation or by becoming a volunteer but still feel moved by our mission? Support us by spreading awareness of our activities to others.
Your support allows medical care, among other things…
- To give back a smile and a taste for life to the people treated
- To help them find self-confidence after months or even years of suffering
- To help them take their place in the community and be respected by those around them
- To give children the opportunity to return to school or go to school for the first time
- To have as normal a life as possible, quite simply
At the same time, we develop care systems for local health professionals
and invest in the medical infrastructure where we work.
Follow Mercy Ships Canada on Instagram
On a Mercy Ship, a heaping cup of love, a spoonful of compassion, and a pinch of laughter are the perfect recipe to make spirits rise.
Dough-n`t you think so? 🍞
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Sur une navire de Mercy Ships, une bonne tasse d`amour, une cuillerée de bienveillance et une pincée de rire constituent la recette parfaite pour remonter le moral.
Envie de mettre les mains à la pâte ?
#Community #MercyShips #Communauté
📸: John Seddon
Every mother wants her baby to be happy and healthy, so Ndiate was heartbroken when she saw Mame Diarra`s double cleft lip. She knew it would hinder the newborn`s eating and speaking. Ndiate recalled, "After I had given birth, I was in so much pain, because of how my daughter was, I could not eat because of the pain. I was devastated. I could not sleep. I was wondering if my daughter could be healed."
Fears for her little girl`s future consumed Ndiate — until she found hope through a safe, free surgery. With a new lease on her daughter`s life, Ndiate laughed in the waiting room on board the #AfricaMercy, "I`m satisfied even before the surgery."
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Toute mère souhaite que son bébé soit heureux et en bonne santé. Ndiate a donc eu le cœur brisé lorsqu`elle a vu la double fente labiale de Mame Diarra. Elle savait que cela empêcherait le nouveau-né de manger et de parler. Ndiate se souvient : "Après l`accouchement, j`avais tellement mal, à cause de l`état de ma fille, je ne pouvais pas manger à cause de la douleur. J`étais dévastée. Je ne pouvais pas dormir. Je me demandais si ma fille pouvait être guérie."
Ndiate craignait pour l`avenir de sa petite fille, jusqu`à ce qu`elle trouve l`espoir grâce à une opération sécuritaire et gratuite. Avec ce nouveau départ pour la vie de sa fille, Ndiate a ri de joie dans la salle d`attente à bord du #AfricaMercy, "Je suis satisfaite avant même la fin de l`opération."
#GlobalHealth #SafeSurgery #MercyShips #SantéMondiale #ChirurgieSécuritaire
📸: Judit Maier
Imagine sharing a sunset on the open ocean... creating memories that will last a lifetime... knowing you`re a part of bringing life-changing healing to patients awaiting surgery. And imagine doing it all with your family by your side. 🌊
This is Canadian volunteer Lindsay Kliewer`s reality! Serving on board as a mother is no easy task, but moments like these make it all worth it. You can read more about her story here - https://bit.ly/3UDH2yD
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Imaginez partager un coucher de soleil en pleine mer... créer des souvenirs qui dureront toute une vie... tout en sachant que vous contribuer à apporter espoir et guérison à des patients en attente de chirurgie. Et imaginez faire tout cela avec votre famille à vos côtés. 🌊
C`est la réalité de la bénévole canadienne Lindsay Kliewer ! Servir à bord tout en étant maman n`est pas une tâche toujours facile, mais des moments comme ceux-ci font que cela en vaut la peine. Vous pouvez lire la suite de son histoire ici - https://bit.ly/3YawBp2
#ThankYou #Merci #Senegal #Volunteer #Bénévolat #MercyShips #FamilyOnboard #FamilleÀBord
📸: Elizabeth Page Brumley
Physical therapist Dr. Nadia Wahid on the #AfricaMercy describes 6-year-old Mariama as having quiet willfulness. 💪
It`s a determination that has seen Mariama quickly progress through rehab after undergoing orthopedic surgery to fix her bowed legs. On her last session, she inspired everyone by how quickly she could walk. “It didn`t take her very long to trust what her body was going to do, because of that, she has progressed steadily,” says Dr. Wahid.
Follow us to see other inspiring patients!
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Le Dr Nadia Wahid, kinésiologue, qui servait sur l`#AfricaMercy, décrit Mariama, 6 ans, comme ayant une force tranquille. 💪
Sa détermination a permis à Mariama de progresser rapidement en rééducation après avoir subi une chirurgie orthopédique pour réparer ses jambes arquées. Lors de sa dernière séance, elle a inspiré tout le monde par la rapidité avec laquelle elle a pu marcher. "Il ne lui a pas fallu longtemps pour faire confiance à ce que son corps allait faire, et grâce à cela, elle a progressé constamment", explique le Dr Wahid.
Suivez-nous pour voir d`autres patients inspirants !
#HospitalShip #GlobalHealth #MercyShips #NavireHôpitaux #SantéMondiale
📸: Judit Maier
Canada is a big country and we don`t always get a chance to meet directly with our volunteers. However, Catherine recently had the pleasure to have a visit from Céline Léger in Lévis, Quebec! 🍁
There is so much joy in connecting face to face and they even got a chance to talk about her next service on the #GlobalMercy in the spring. 💐
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Le Canada est un grand pays et nous n`avons pas toujours la chance de rencontrer directement nos bénévoles. Cependant, Catherine a récemment eu le plaisir d`avoir la visite de Céline Léger à Lévis, près de Québec ! 🍁
Il y a tellement de joie à se voir face à face et ce fut l`occasion de parler de son prochain service sur le Global Mercy au printemps. 💐
When 6-year-old Sira returned to her village in the Sedhiou region of southwest #Senegal, it had been three months since she had seen her father, Ibrahima.
He had to stay behind and work, so he could not go with his daughter to the #AfricaMercy where a successful orthopedic surgery transformed her bowed legs. Although Sira could walk normally again when they reunited, Ibrahima could not help but pick up his daughter and carry her on his shoulders. He recalled, “When I put her down, I looked at her again and again. I could not believe that I was seeing her like that.”
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Lorsque Sira, 6 ans, est rentrée dans son village de la région de Sedhiou, dans le sud-ouest du #Sénégal, cela faisait trois mois qu`elle n`avait pas vu son père, Ibrahima.
Il avait dû rester sur place pour travailler et n`avait donc pas pu accompagner sa fille jusqu`à l`#AfricaMercy où une chirurgie orthopédique réussie avait transformé ses jambes arquées. Bien que Sira pouvait marcher normalement lorsqu`ils se sont retrouvés, Ibrahima n`a pu s`empêcher de prendre sa fille et de la porter sur ses épaules. Il se souvient : "Quand je l`ai posée, je l`ai regardée encore et encore. Je ne pouvais pas croire que je la voyais comme ça".
#SafeSurgery #GlobalHealth #MercyShips #ChirurgieSécuritaire #SantéMondiale #HopeRestored #EspoirRestauré
📸: Judit Maier
At Mercy Ships Canada, we wish to honor and acknowledge the support from our vital partner, Foresight for IT, who we`ve had the pleasure of working with for over five years. 💻
Darryl Anderson, Executive Director of Mercy Ships Canada, stated “Edmonton-based Foresight for IT offers us a full-circle approach to IT from setup, support, security, and scalability which means that they handle everything for us, and our vital services are consistently up and running thanks to their dedicated Service. Their technicians and business support staff are always available to take the time to help us with our technology requirements and challenges”
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Chez Mercy Ships Canada, nous souhaitons honorer et reconnaître le soutien de notre partenaire essentiel, Foresight for IT, basé à Edmonton, avec qui nous avons le plaisir de travailler depuis plus de cinq ans. 💻
Darryl Anderson, directeur général de Mercy Ships Canada, a déclaré : " Foresight for IT, nous offre une approche globale de l`informatique, de l`installation au soutien technique, en passant par la sécurité et l`évolution nécessaire de nos systèmes, ce qui signifie qu`ils s`occupent de tout pour nous, et que nos services vitaux sont constamment opérationnels grâce à leur service dédié. Leur équipe de soutien technique est toujours disponible et nous soutiennent à travers nos besoins et défis liés à l`utilisation de la technologies."
#PartenariatEnAffaires #EssentialPartner #ForesightForIT #ThankYou #Merci
Since the start of COVID, we don`t get many visitors to our Victoria, B.C. office. Yet, a week before Christmas, an engaging young leader named Julie Van Domselaar and her mother, Christine walked in! 🙌
Julie reached out to one of our staff members with an envelope in her hand and said, "Here is a donation to help people in Africa. I saved up my money from dog sitting and would like to share it with Mercy Ships Canada."
Thank you for your inspiring generosity, Julie! ❤️
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Depuis le début de COVID, nous ne recevons pas beaucoup de visiteurs dans notre bureau de Victoria, en Colombie-Britannique. Pourtant, une semaine avant Noël, une jeune leader attachante nommée Julie Van Domselaar et sa mère, Christine, sont entrées ! 🙌
Julie a remis une enveloppe à l`un de nos membres du personnel et a dit : " Voici un don pour aider les gens en Afrique. J`ai économisé mon argent en faisant du gardiennage de chien et j`aimerais le partager avec Mercy Ships Canada."
Merci pour ta générosité inspirante, Julie ! ❤️
#MercyShipsCanada #YoungLeaders #JeuneLeader #SmallActsBigDifference #PetitsGestesGrandImpact
The staff development office on board the #AfricaMercy recently hosted a 12-week manager development series that kicked off with modules on servant leadership and cross-cultural communication, and Canadian volunteer Riley Chow was among the participants! 🤝
Staff Development Manager Bennett Moody explained, "The series is designed to better equip existing managers, as well as introduce aspiring managers to some of the skills they will need to be effective leaders aboard the ships." The Canadian #volunteer added, "It is quite fulfilling to see managers thrive in their roles, building healthy and efficient teams."
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Le département de développement des ressources humaines à bord de l`#AfricaMercy a accueilli une série de 12 semaines de développement des gestionnaires qui a démarré avec des modules sur le leadership au coeur servant et la communication interculturelle.Le bénévole canadien Riley Chow était parmi les participants ! 🤝
Bennett Moody, responsable du développement RH, a expliqué : "La série est conçue pour mieux équiper les gestionnaires existants, ainsi que pour présenter aux gestionnaires en devenir certaines des compétences dont ils auront besoin pour être des leaders efficaces à bord des navires." Le Bénévole canadien a ajouté : "Il est tout à fait satisfaisant de voir les leaders s`épanouir dans leur rôle, pour construire des équipes saines et efficaces."
#Community #StaffDevelopment #MercyShips #DéveloppementRH #Communauté
The day that Sira returned from the #AfricaMercy in #Senegal, neighbors swarmed her home to see her transformation. 🙌
She smiled shyly, letting them look. The attention was not new for the 6-year-old who had been getting stares since her legs began curving outward at age 4. This time, though, they stared in awe.
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Le jour où Sira est revenue de l`#AfricaMercy au #Sénégal, les voisins ont envahi sa maison pour voir sa transformation. 🙌
Elle a souri timidement, les laissant regarder. L`attention n`était pas nouvelle pour la petite fille de 6 ans, qui avait été dévisagée depuis que ses jambes avaient commencé à se courber à l`âge de 4 ans. Cette fois, cependant, ils l`ont regardé avec admiration.
#SafeSurgery #GlobalHealth #MercyShips #SantéMondiale #ChirurgieSécuritaire
📸: Judit Maier
Thank you to our donors and volunteers
Since 1978, thanks to them, we have been able to:
Perform
Carry out
Train
Today, we are counting on you to continue our mission
How would you like to help us?
1-866-900-7447 (toll free)
