Dear Friends and Family,

I have exciting news to share with you – I am returning to Africa with Mercy Ships – though not to a ship, but to the nation of Liberia to serve in a new position as Country Director.  I first visited Liberia in 2006, lived in Liberia all of 2007 and 2008 on the Anastasis, Africa Mercy and ashore with Advance and returned in 2010 for three weeks with the Evaluation Team. 
We are working on the timeline – probably leaving in November.  For people in Indiana, I do plan to visit before I leave the country.  I will let you know and share more about the nation of Liberia in future KRB Updates. 
A few brief details – over 5 million people call Liberia home, one of the world’s most worst for maternal mortality, a young population with median age of 18, life expectancy is about 64 years old, and concerns for infectious disease is very high.  

Below is the message shared with the Mercy Ships community and I asked permission to share it here with you all:

I am excited to share with you the promotion of Keith Brinkman to Country Director. Keith will start this new position on 16 October. In this important position, Keith will be responsible for the coordination of all programmatic and support activities in Liberia, from the signing of the protocol, up to the point that an active protocol with a host nation expires, which is typically after five years.

As the Country Director, Keith will continue to establish and deepen government and diplomatic relations, and will lead and support all preparatory activities before ships arrival in Monrovia. Keith will play a key role in external representation, external and internal stakeholder alignment, and team leadership on the ground.

Keith’s servant-hearted leadership and unwavering dedication to excellence is an example to all. Keith’s life is perhaps best characterized by his love for others – our partners, his fellow crew, our day crew and especially the citizens of the host nations we serve. He has ‘joined the families’ of patients and Mercy Ministry partners, being christened with local names like Kofi in Ghana (‘born on a Friday’), Lahi (‘first born son’) in Madagascar, Keita in Guinea, Kofa in Liberia, and Lamin in Gambia.

Corné Blom
VP International Programs

More to follow from me in future KRB Updates

Press Release for the new Mercy Ship

Mercy Ships announces its second hospital ship: the Global Mercy

The international humanitarian non-governmental organization strives to increase access to safe and quality surgical care in Africa 

Mercy Ships (https://MercyShips.Africa) unveils its new hospital ship, the Global Mercy, which will join the Africa Mercy, in service in Africa since 2007.  Dr. Pierre M’Pelé, Director of the Mercy Ships Africa Bureau, announces that the Global Mercy is scheduled to begin service in Africa in 2021 and relays the cry from the hearts of Africans who say “Thank you to Mercy Ships.”

Every year, 16.9 million people around the world die due to lack of access to surgical care and 93% of sub-Saharan Africa still lack this access. Between 1990 and 2020, Mercy Ships has performed more than 100,000 free surgical procedures, trained more than 40,000 medical professionals, renovated more than 100 health facilities, and implemented more than 1,000 community projects in Africa. The Global Mercy will more than double the impact of Mercy Ships on the African continent.

Since 1990, Mercy Ships has been bringing hope and healing to the African people and has conducted more than 30 humanitarian missions in 14 African countries (Benin, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Congo, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Madagascar, Sierra Leone, Senegal, South Africa, Togo).

The Global Mercy is a modern, state-of-the-art hospital ship, equipped with six surgical operating rooms. She will also provide a specialized training platform for African surgeons, obstetricians, dentists and anesthesiologists, including a simulation laboratory for surgical and post-operative care. “As COVID-19 threatens the stability of already fragile healthcare systems globally, the need to provide accessible, life-saving surgical care is greater than ever. The Global Mercy represents a unique call to support the strengthening of healthcare systems in Africa on behalf of the most vulnerable,” comments Rosa Whitaker, President for Mercy Ships.

Few facts about the Global Mercy  

– Length: 174 meters

– Weight: 37,000 tons

– 6 operating rooms

– Capacity: Over 600 professional volunteers from around the world representing a variety of disciplines, including surgeons, mariners, cooks, teachers, electricians, reception staff and many more.

– Spaces have been designed to host up to 950 crew and guests, including a 682-seat auditorium, a school, a gymnasium, a pool, a café, a store and a library when the ship is docked.