Students attending Sienna Catholic College on the Queensland Sunshine Coast are busy collecting new toothbrushes, toothpaste and small hand mirrors for the children of West Africa, following a visit to the school by Mike Hughes who told about his six months serving as Second Mate on the Anastasis. An advance presentation was made to National Director, Brian Ross, by Year 10 students Lorin Barns and Renee Dwyer.
Australians on the Anastasis June 2004
There was good representation from Australia during the just completed outreach of the Anastasis to Sierra Leone in West Africa .
Pictured are the Australian volunteer crew members on deck. Some have completed their time of service onboard and have returned to Australia .
Mercy Ships at Victorian Missions weekend June 2004
Hundreds of young people attending a recent residential mission conference on Phillip Island were exposed to the possibilities for service with Mercy Ships.
It was the first such conference held in Victoria for some years.
Mercy Ships Australia was represented by National Director Brian Ross, and Media Officer Amos Bennett, with help from Victorian nurse Fiona Lanting who was just back from three months onboard the Anastasis in Sierra Leone .
Nurses helping nurses June 2004
NSW nurse Sonja Frichknecht, who recently returned to the Anastasis after completing her Masters in Nursing, is involved in a program aimed at helping nurses in West African nations to better care for their patients.
Sonja says she was deeply affected by stories shared by nurses and doctors in Freetown , the capital of Sierra Leone , and by seeing the conditions under which they work.
She is currently preparing training material for use during the next outreach to Benin and Liberia .
Mike Hughes
Second Mate on the Anastasis June 2004
Mike Hughes of Queensland, who describes himself as a semi-retired ship’s captain, is serving for six months as Second Mate on the flagship of the Mercy Ships fleet. In June the ship, with a crew of more than 400, was docked in Freetown, the capital of the small West African nation of Sierra Leone. More than 800 surgeries will have been performed onboard before the Anastasis left port.
Container on way from Caloundra to Mercy Ships March 2004
A container load of materials donated by service clubs, business people, individuals, resorts, pharmaceutical companies and dentists is on its way from Caloundra, Queensland, the base for Mercy Ships Australia, towards a Mercy Ships in Africa. Included are dozens of wheelchairs and walking frames, destined for the New Steps program in Sierra Leone. Also included are more than one thousand soft toys which will be given to children as they come in contact with Mercy Ships volunteers on and off the ship.
Mercy Ships at Pacific 2004 February 2004
In the midst of displays featuring latest technology and equipment for war, Mercy Ships Australia was one of only a handful of exhibitors at Pacific 2004 in Sydney early February with nothing to sell, but a great story to tell. Volunteers spent four days at the Expo, the largest maritime display in the Asia-Pacific region, held in conjunction with major maritime and defence conferences.
