Family move to Sierra Leone to volunteer on hospital ship
For the past year, marine pilot Ian Lawrence and his family of four have been volunteering on a hospital ship off the coast of Sierra Leone.He was granted a year's unpaid leave from Associated British Ports in Southampton to work with the international healthcare charity Mercy Ships. Mr Lawrence's two children - eight-year-old Abigail and five-year-old Piran - went to school on the ship and his wife, Elizma, paused her business back home.The family left Salisbury in July 2024, and Mr Lawrence captained the ship while medics carried out 1,600 surgeries.
Mr Lawrence said: "I've spent 15 years at sea and became a ship's captain and then came ashore to work as a marine pilot. I met my wife on board a cruise ship so we're very much a maritime family. "So when we heard that Mercy Ships were looking for qualified mariners to volunteer on board their ships we signed up."The family have their own little cabin on the ship, and the two children attend the ship's academy, which teaches children from the age of four to 18. The Global Mercy is thought to be the world's largest purpose-built non-governmental hospital ship.
At 174m (571ft) long and a gross tonnage of 37,000, the ship features six operating rooms, a hospital deck with 200 beds, a laboratory and various clinics including general outpatient, eye, and dental.The charity said the Global Mercy also had first-class training facilities for local medical professionals and is home to up to 600 volunteers who serve on board.In the past year the medical team on the ship have undertaken more than 1,600 surgeries for 1,500 different patients. Mr Lawrence said: "In Sierra Leone there is a lot of facial tumours, cleft palates, bowed legs and also things such as burns, where the skin has contracted and caused the lack of mobility in someone's limbs."
It is almost time to come home but has been an experience he and his family will never forget. "Sierra Leone is a wonderful country," he said. "The people are incredibly warm-hearted and welcoming.""Everywhere we've gone, we've been met with with smiles with greetings and welcomes."It's been an intense year, one where we've had highs and lows, but we really feel like we've lived and we have contributed, we've made a real difference to their part of the world and a population that really needed it."So it will be a year that will live with us for the rest of our lives, I'm sure."
You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X, or Instagram.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
11 hours ago
- Reuters
Goal to end AIDS by 2030 'more off-track' after Trump cuts, UNAIDS head says
JOHANNESBURG, June 13 (Reuters) - Donald Trump's cuts to HIV/AIDS programmes will further derail an already faltering plan to end the disease as a public health threat by 2030, UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima said on Friday. With 1.3 million new infections in 2023, according to the latest data, the world was already "off track," Byanyima told journalists in South Africa, a country with the world's largest number of people living with HIV, at 8 million. "Less funding means we will get more and more off-track," she said in the main city of Johannesburg, after meeting President Cyril Ramaphosa to discuss Africa's HIV/AIDS strategy in light of the U.S. president slashing billions of dollars in foreign aid in February. "We don't know yet what that impact will be, but impact there will be: ... already you see in several countries a drop in the number of people going to clinics," Byanyima said. Before the cuts, prevention programmes had brought down new infections, she said, but they were "not coming down fast enough to reach our target of 2023." Now, with the shuttering of community prevention clinics across Africa, infections would surely rise, though it wasn't clear yet by how much, she said. The administration's decision to axe swaths of U.S. foreign aid has disrupted the supply of life-saving HIV treatments, with some countries facing potentially running out. In South Africa, about a fifth of whose HIV budget was U.S.-funded, testing and monitoring of HIV patients is already falling. Byanyima said even poor, indebted countries were managing to plug funding gaps, but called on other rich nations to step in. "We're saying to the donors: this is one of the diseases ... without a cure, without a vaccine, yet we're seeing progress," she said. "If you've got a good success story, why drop it ... before you end it?"
BBC News
2 days ago
- BBC News
Family move to Sierra Leone to volunteer on hospital ship
For the past year, marine pilot Ian Lawrence and his family of four have been volunteering on a hospital ship off the coast of Sierra was granted a year's unpaid leave from Associated British Ports in Southampton to work with the international healthcare charity Mercy Ships. Mr Lawrence's two children - eight-year-old Abigail and five-year-old Piran - went to school on the ship and his wife, Elizma, paused her business back family left Salisbury in July 2024, and Mr Lawrence captained the ship while medics carried out 1,600 surgeries. Mr Lawrence said: "I've spent 15 years at sea and became a ship's captain and then came ashore to work as a marine pilot. I met my wife on board a cruise ship so we're very much a maritime family. "So when we heard that Mercy Ships were looking for qualified mariners to volunteer on board their ships we signed up."The family have their own little cabin on the ship, and the two children attend the ship's academy, which teaches children from the age of four to 18. The Global Mercy is thought to be the world's largest purpose-built non-governmental hospital ship. At 174m (571ft) long and a gross tonnage of 37,000, the ship features six operating rooms, a hospital deck with 200 beds, a laboratory and various clinics including general outpatient, eye, and charity said the Global Mercy also had first-class training facilities for local medical professionals and is home to up to 600 volunteers who serve on the past year the medical team on the ship have undertaken more than 1,600 surgeries for 1,500 different patients. Mr Lawrence said: "In Sierra Leone there is a lot of facial tumours, cleft palates, bowed legs and also things such as burns, where the skin has contracted and caused the lack of mobility in someone's limbs." It is almost time to come home but has been an experience he and his family will never forget. "Sierra Leone is a wonderful country," he said. "The people are incredibly warm-hearted and welcoming.""Everywhere we've gone, we've been met with with smiles with greetings and welcomes."It's been an intense year, one where we've had highs and lows, but we really feel like we've lived and we have contributed, we've made a real difference to their part of the world and a population that really needed it."So it will be a year that will live with us for the rest of our lives, I'm sure." You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X, or Instagram.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Shoppers are obsessed with this 'heavenly' vanilla body oil that leaves skin glowing - and it's under $30
You might know Quinoa as a protein-packed salad topping, but did you know it is also the secret to achieving flawless skin? Nativa SPA is a skincare brand that feels like luxury without the steep price tags. The best-selling skincare brand uses the power of quinoa oil to transform skin overnight with advanced scrubs, oils, lotions, and more. Nativa SPA Madagascar Vanilla Soothing Body Oil Stay-cation anyone?! Transport yourself to a sunny beach with this ultra-hydrating, highly effective full-body oil. Powered by quinoa, you will see softer, tighter, and brighter skin! The luxurious body oil smells as decadent as it looks with real Madagascar Vanilla. Whether you have dry skin or not this top-rated hydrating spa-grade oil is a summer-have for looking glowy 24/7. $27 Shop The best part is their prices are accessible, with most full-sized items costing under $40. Right now, you can snag all their summer must-have skincare for less, including our favorite, the bestselling Madagascar Vanilla Soothing Body Oil which is only $27. Nativa SPA focuses on bringing its customers the highest quality products using quinoa, the golden grain that goes back to ancient times. They use an advanced extraction process that makes the quinoa 10x more potent than usual, or in other words, 10x more effective. The brand's highly popular Madagascar Vanilla Soothing Body Oil is just one example of quinoa being put to good use! The ultra-hydrating formula is rich in antioxidants and 100 percent sustainably sourced. Users are obsessed with how it leaves their skin, with one saying: 'Love, love, love this oil!! It's leaves your skin soft and moisturized without being greasy. Loved the smell of it too. Will definitely purchase again.' But by far, the most rave-reviewed aspect of the viral body oil is its scent! Shoppers cannot stop talking about the sweet vanilla aroma, with one saying: 'I believe this is what an angel must smell like because it is simply heavenly.' While another fan said that after using the Madagascar Vanilla Soothing Body Oil, 'the men swarmed and swooned' over her due to its intoxicating scent. Nativa SPA brings their Brazilian roots and love for quinoa oil together in everything they do. But more than that, they bring their commitment to honest, clean skincare into each and every product. That's why we can not get enough of the Madagascar Vanilla Soothing Body Oil. Looking for even more Nativa SPA? Lucky for you, all of the best-selling brand's products are as affordable as they are legendary. Check out a few of our notable editor picks below! Açaí Moisturizing Ritual Set Looks like your breakfast won't be the only Açaí you partake in! Quinoa goes back to ancient times is known for having intense skincare benefits but we know you may be hesitant to try it! Luckily, you can test out the effectiveness for yourself with this 3-piece set. With the Açaí lotion, oil, and hand cream your skin is going to be better than ever. Plus, by shopping right now you can experience the Quinoa way for cheaper than ever. $63.75 (was $75) Shop Quinoa Firming Body Oil Set Consider your shower game upgraded. This hydration oil will change your self-care with its warm floral scent and firming results. Feel and see your skin tighten across the whole body while relaxing using the included Gua Sha. This set is perfect for anyone struggling with stretch marks and cellulite because of its healing and firming properties. $43.35 (was $51) Shop
