In one of Madagascar’s largest rice-producing regions, 9-year-old Annica dreams of one day becoming a teacher. She loves basketball and thrives in subjects like Mathematics, Geography, and French, and she At home, she’s the life of the party, playing lively games with...

Harimalala was just 12 years old when her life came to an unexpected pause. The only girl among five siblings, she was a student in Madagascar with dreams and hopes of reaching her full potential. Now, at 24, she recalls, “When I was still studying, I was very...

Naserry was always a happy child, the kind of girl who brings joy to a room just by entering it. To describe her personality, her aunt, Salamatu, simply laughed and responded: “She likes to talk!” Salamatu has held onto high hopes for her niece, who dreams of becoming...

In a coastal city in eastern Madagascar lives a 12-year-old boy named Romino. A decade ago, Romino received orthopedic surgery on board a floating hospital ship, the Africa Mercy®, which corrected his bowed legs at the age of just 3 years old. Today, Tilos, as he is...

Nestled atop a hill with breathtaking views and strong gusts of wind is a village in the heart of Madagascar. Just a six-hour drive from the capital of Antananarivo or Tana, where most of the island’s population live, the village is a sharp contrast to Tana – with...

In 2015, in an operating room on board the floating hospital of the Africa Mercy®, the course of Vanya’s life changed. Until then, the 11-year-old had spent her childhood challenged by windswept legs that curved sideways. The condition – often caused by a combination...

The patient’s blood was A+, and she was going to need a lot more of it. Mercy Ships volunteer anesthesiologist Dr. Brian Barki and his team knew this for certain. As they gathered for a morning huddle on board the Global Mercy®, docked in Dakar, Senegal, they began to...

When Binta brought her four-year-old granddaughter Adama to Mercy Ships for a cleft lip surgery, the mother shared her deep gratitude.  “We are so grateful to be here, and that Adama will be able to go to school healed. The village that loves her already will...

This shouldn’t be Gisele’s story, but it is.  In 1993 Gisele was 28 years old, married, and expecting a baby. Following a miscarriage with her first pregnancy, this baby was perhaps even more precious. She was elated with the anticipation of motherhood...

Assiatou's Mercy Ships physical therapist remembers the moment she knew the 18-year-old was serious about her recovery. “She had her hair all done and was wearing a beautiful dress — and tennis shoes," said volunteer Timica. Assiatou walked with a painfully contracted...

Two years ago, when the Africa Mercy® sailed from Senegal, hundreds of patients were left still waiting for their chance for surgery. On February 1st, the ship returned to the port of Dakar to bring hope and healing to these patients and their families. Three weeks...