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 1,550 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

Mariama, Sira, Awa, Amadou… 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

Samba

Meet Samba ! After 56 years with a cleft lip, it took just a two-hour surgery on board the Global Mercy to change his life forever.

Diarra

For 25-year-old Diarra, stepping into the operating room of the Africa Mercy was a moment more than a decade in the making. She had been looking for healing for a facial tumor for almost half her life.

Meet Emmanuel, the First Patient of the Sierra Leone Field Service

On Tuesday, September 12, Emmanuel was brought into one of the operating rooms of the Global Mercy™, where he became the very first patient to receive surgery during the field service in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

The Road to Healing for Daouda

Daouda had not even started school when a facial tumor emerged in his upper jaw. For years, Daouda’s father was seeking for a surgery.

Reclaiming Dignity: Astou’s Story

Astou was 20 years old when her life took an unexpected turn. At the time, she was married and expecting her first child. She had a close, supportive family and was part of her community in Senegal. The future held joy and promise.

Khoudia’s Story: A Long-Awaited Successful Surgery

When a person has spent years living with a tumor that they are told is inoperable, it is easy to lose any expectation of healing.

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.

Volunteers

Mercy Ships has been offering free healthcare
for over 40 years.

  • Two surgical ships, the Global Mercy and the Africa Mercy.
  • Over 1,550 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

While patients are healing physically from life-changing surgeries, the hospital chaplaincy team strives to support them in their emotional healing. The #volunteer and national crewmembers of this department respect and engage patients by sharing in their culture. 🌍⁣
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On board the #GlobalMercy in Sierra Leone, this means bringing their drums and voices to the veranda where patients go daily for fresh air. This space overlooking the ocean becomes a lively location for song, dance, and worship, infusing joy into the patient’s journey and contributing to their healing from the inside out. ❤️‍🩹⁣
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#HospitalChaplaincy #FindYourPlaceOnBoard #MercyShips⁣
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Alors que les patients guérissent physiquement d'opérations chirurgicales qui ont changé leur vie, l'équipe d'aumônerie de l'hôpital s'efforce de les soutenir dans leur guérison émotionnelle. Les #bénévoles de ce service respectent et engagent les patients en partageant leur culture. 🌍⁣
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À bord du #GlobalMercy en Sierra Leone, un espace surplombant l'océan devient un lieu animé de chants, de danses et de cultes, insufflant de la joie dans le parcours des patients et contribuant à leur guérison de l'intérieur. ❤️‍🩹⁣
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#Embarquezavecnous #MercyShips #Guérison⁣
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📸: Tirsa Tapia Zamora
Meet the surgeon who’s already changing lives in Senegal! 🙌⁣
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When Mercy Ships had to leave Dakar in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the crew reached out to Dr. Alida Ngandijo Sidi, a budding Cameroonian surgeon who had made Senegal her home.⁣
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She operated on over 40 of Mercy Ships' patients during the pandemic, honoring the organization’s commitment to provide them with safe and affordable life-transforming surgeries. The partnership continued into 2023, where Dr. Sidi received three weeks of mentorship on the #GlobalMercy. By learning alongside veteran surgeons, she expanded her skillset, and patients will benefit for years to come. 🩺🌍⁣
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#GlobalSurgery #SafeSurgery #MercyShips⁣
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Rencontrez la chirurgienne qui transforme déjà des vies au Sénégal ! 🙌⁣
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Lorsque Mercy Ships a dû quitter Dakar en 2020 en raison de la pandémie, l'équipage a tendu la main à Dre Alida Ngandijo Sidi, une chirurgienne camerounaise qui avait fait du Sénégal sa maison.⁣
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Elle a opéré plus de 40 patients de Mercy Ships pendant la pandémie, honorant ainsi l'engagement de l'organisation à leur fournir des interventions chirurgicales fiables et abordables qui transforment leur vie. Le partenariat s'est poursuivi jusqu'en 2023, où Dre Sidi a bénéficié de 3 semaines de mentorat sur le #GlobalMercy. En apprenant aux côtés de chirurgiens chevronnés, elle a élargi son ensemble de compétences, et les patients en bénéficieront pendant des années. 🩺🌍⁣
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#GlobalSurgery #ChirurgieFiable #MercyShips⁣
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📸: Tirsa Tapia Zamora
Did you know, Mercy Ships isn’t only known as a floating hospital – it’s also earned a reputation as the love boat? Over the years, many beautiful love stories have sparked as volunteers from around the world find their lifelong partners on board. 💞⁣
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Lily and Konroy are one of these love stories. Originally from France, Lily met her husband Konroy from the United States on the #AfricaMercy last year. Now sharing a married couple’s cabin on the #GlobalMercy, Lily continues to #volunteer as a ward nurse educator in the hospital downstairs from their cabin, while Konroy serves upstairs as an endpoint analyst in the Information Services department.⁣
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Saviez-vous que Mercy Ships n'est pas seulement connu comme un hôpital flottant ? Il est également connu pour être le "bateau de l'amour". Beaucoup de belles histoires d'amour ont jailli lorsque des bénévoles du monde entier ont trouvé leur partenaire pour la vie. 💞⁣
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Originaire de France, Lily a rencontré son mari Konroy, des États-Unis. Partageant désormais une cabine sur le #GlobalMercy, Lily est #infirmière bénévole, tandis que Konroy sert en tant qu'analyste dans le département des services d'information.⁣
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#Volunteer #LoveBoat #FindYourPlaceOnBoard #MercyShips #amouràbord #Bénévoles #Embarquezavecnous⁣
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📸: Tirsa Tapia Zamora
February 2024 heralds the launch of our newly refurbished hospital ship, the Africa Mercy. 🛳️⁣
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In collaboration with Madagascar's Ministry of Health, our dedicated professionals and medical teams aboard the ship aim to provide over 1,150 free, highly specialized surgeries and offer specialized training to healthcare professionals, all with the overarching mission of changing the healthcare landscape in Madagascar. ⁣
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Your generosity empowers Mercy Ships to offer surgeries that are routine in our Canadian hospitals but possess the transformative potential to change the lives of our patients forever.⁣
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This November, join the #GivingTuesday movement and tag Mercy Ships Canada on social media and say #IShareForHealthCare on #GivingTuesday. 🌍🩺⁣
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Give at the link in our bio!⁣
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Février 2024 annonce le lancement de notre navire-hôpital récemment rénové, l'Africa Mercy. 🛳️⁣
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En collaboration avec le Ministère de la Santé de Madagascar, nos professionnels dévoués et les équipes médicales à bord du navire ont pour objectif d'offrir gratuitement plus de 1150 interventions chirurgicales hautement spécialisées et de proposer une formation spécialisée aux professionnels de la santé, le tout avec la mission primordiale de changer le paysage des soins de santé à Madagascar. ⁣
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Votre générosité permet à Mercy Ships d'offrir des chirurgies qui sont normales dans nos hôpitaux canadiens mais qui possèdent le potentiel de transformation pour changer la vie de nos patients pour toujours.⁣
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Fin novembre, rejoignez le mouvement du #Mardijedonne et tagguez Mercy Ships Canada sur les réseaux sociaux en utilisant le hashtag #Donnerpourlasanté. 🌍🩺⁣
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Faire un don 👉 lien en bio !⁣
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#Generosity #Volunteer #GlobalHealth #MercyShips #MercyShipsCanada #Générosité #Bénévolat

Thank you to our donors and volunteers

Since 1978, thanks to them, we have been able to:

Perform

0
surgeries on board our hospital ships

Carry out

0
dental treatments, performed by our volunteer dentists

Train

0
local health professionals in advanced medical procedures

Today, we are counting on you to continue our mission

How would you like to help us?