Recent Africa Mercy Visit (Plus Photos!)

SummerRosenbalm

Happy October, everyone!

My name is Summer Rosenbalm and I'm the Medical Staffing Manager at Mercy Ships! I work at the International Support Center in Texas, but recently visited the Africa Mercy in Dakar, Senegal with Medical Recruiter, @AlyssaRowe. I thought I would share about my experience and some photos with you so you would get a better idea of what things look like on the ship. If you'd like to see photos of the Dental Clinic and Team House, click here.

Here's a photo of the front desk reception area. This is the first thing you see after walking up the gangway. Upon your arrival, you will be greeted by the Receptionist, who will request your yellow fever card and passport, take your photo, and will then give you an official Mercy Ships badge. Then, the Hospitality Hostess will greet you to go over some basic ship information and give you your room key.

On your first Monday morning, you'll attend New Crew Orientation as well, which is about an hour and a half long. Here, you will receive helpful information that you will need to know during your stay.

If you take a left at reception, you'll see the cafeteria:

If you take a right at reception, you'll find the Starbucks cafe and the very popular Activities Sign Up Desk (pictured below and located under the stairway). This is where you can sign up for off-ship group activities. I actually went to a baby orphanage and the HOPE Center, which were great experiences. Tip: These trips fill up fast, so I suggest checking them frequently and signing up as soon as possible!

Here are some photos of the ship library, gym, crew galley, and playground. (There's a pool and Ship Shop on board as well, but I forgot to snap pictures of them. Sorry!) :

Here are a few photos of different areas of the hospital, including radiology and the lab:

Outside, there are several tents next to the ship for the Screening Team, Admissions, Outpatients, and Rehab. Here's a photo of what they look like from the outside. The white pavilion at the far right of the photo is where patients wait before going on board for surgery!

Feel free to post any questions you may have in the comment section below and I'll be happy to answer!

Summer Rosenbalm

Medical Staffing Manager

SaraDeppen

It's great to see pictures of where I'll be in a month! As an outpatient nurse, do you know if I will be staying on the ship, or elsewhere?

HannahMulvihill

Hi @SaraDeppen , you would be housed onboard as an outpatient nurse :) Thanks so much for volunteering with us.

Hannah - UK crew Coordinator

CynthiaHarris

Summer,

I feel sure these pictures are very beneficial to those considering or already in process of volunteering with Mercy Ships. It always helps to "see" the details before you go. Thanks for posting! I look forward to viewing other items you remember that you'd like to share.

Cynthia

TeniahHowell

This post was so good! I am getting super excited for our time, and it is wonderful to see the photos! Thank you for sharing.

lizfindley

Thank you the photos are great, a great insight into the ship

TraceyBartula

Love this! Thanks for sharing @SummerRosenbalm !

PamPorter

Great pics! Thanks for sharing and so glad you got the experience of going onboard!

SallymaeBailey

Thanks! I am joining in late April for a short term op. Do you have any photos of the 6 and 10 berth share cabins?

Really excited to serve and get a taste of AFM.

Sallymae

karenkuklinski

This is a 6 berth, each “cubby” has bunks, closet, fold down desk. The one across the back is slightly larger. All share one bathroom.

Also serving late April! See you there!

SummerRosenbalm

Thank you for sharing, @karenkuklinski!

ray.6704

Thanks for giving us a picture of what we will be seeing when called up to serve. The ship looks beautiful.

Much Grace,

Remond

wolfqueen87

Do you have family cabins for employee's or volunteers with families?

Do you require collage degrees to work there?

AliCupp

Hi @wolfqueen87,

We do have families that serve with us! Family housing is reserved for long-term crew where one spouse is filling a critical position. The cabins vary in size (6-berth and 4-berth) according to how many in your family, and depends on which ship you are serving.  A few of the family cabins on the Africa Mercy have a sofa-bed for the parents; each cabin has its own bathroom and kitchenette and ample storage space. You can find more information about what it is like to volunteer with your family on our FAQ page here.

Each position has different qualifications, I would recommend reviewing the position summary for the position you are interested in serving in. You can find all of our volunteer opportunities here and you may sort by position, department, minimum commitment, and our urgent needs. If a position qualifies for a family cabin, it will have the following statement on the position summary: “Are you interested in coming with your family? This position qualifies for a family cabin on board! Please refer to the Family FAQs for more information.”

Please let us know if you have any questions, you can contact me directly at tech.recruiter.ioc@mercyships.org and I will be happy to help you.

Together we can bring hope and healing!

mike1991adebayo

Hi everyone, My name is Michael Adebayo from Nigeria and a sailor by profession.

Am volunteering to work onboard as my own way giving to those in need.

Please, how will i go about it.

Thank you

mitchelg

@mike1991adebayo Discover all the positions where you can serve with us at https://opportunities.mercyships.org. You can also begin your application process. We truly hope to hear from you soon!

oluwaseun95+

Seeing the photos are enough motivation for me. Thanks for sharing @SummerRosenbalm . Hope to work on board someday

clemens9

There are any photos from the ICU and the normale wards @SummerRosenbalm

juliebrown

Hi

On the pictures of the bunks, it looks like there are some throw blankets rolled up. Are those provided? I've been planning on bringing a couple of throw blankets, because I get so cold if the air-conditioning is on. It would be great not to have to pack that extra bulk if some are provided.

Thanks

AllyJones

Hi @juliebrown,

I think those are towels rolled up on the beds! Throw blankets are not provided, but might be a good idea as the cabins can get cold sometimes, depending on where you are on the ship!

alphonsedoe+

Awesome, thanks for sharing

juliebrown

Thanks, Ally. Good to know!

momoodescosenah

Thanks for sharing these photos. I have gotten an insight of what is going to be like onboard the ship. I like the gym and I think this will be an opportunity for me to increase the size of my muscles in the coming months.

You've done a great job.

Kudos to you!