Paraparaumu identical twin nurses Lisa and Cherie Chalmers are about to embark on a five-month humanitarian journey helping the health of many people in West Africa.
The twins will be part of the 400-strong international crew on the surgical hospital ship Africa Mercy which will be operating in Senegal.
The volunteer crew will be providing free essential surgical services, and more, not usually available within the low-income countries in sub-Saharan Africa that Mercy Ships serves.
The sisters, aged 52, who trained at Whitireia Community Polytechnic and have worked at Eldon Lodge together for eight years, depart New Zealand early January and fly to Tenerife, in the Canary Islands, for a month, before the 16,000 gross-tonne ship heads to its destination.
It has been a busy time as the twins tick off a to-do list including immunisation, insurance and so on.
They're double-vaxxed against Covid-19 and have had a booster shot.
"We have to wear masks the whole time unless we're eating or in our own cabin."
The pair, who will have to get used to various lifestyle changes including sleeping in bunks and having three-minute showers, are heading a bit into the unknown but have heaps of support behind them including from Kāpiti Impact Church and Waikanae Café Church.
Lisa will be part of the palliative care nursing team caring for terminal patients that Mercy Ships is unable to treat.
Healthcare and wellbeing support at home are offered to a small number of local patients who came to Mercy Ships hoping for treatment, only to discover their condition is life-ending and inoperable.
Cherie will be part of the hospitality team which will be preparing cabins and welcoming the influx of international recruits arriving to volunteer for the start of the field service which will last most of the year.
Africa Mercy hospital ship. Photo / John Rolland
When applying there were limited positions in nursing with their skillset in palliative nursing.
"I was willing to take on any other roles as it felt like the right time to be going."
The sisters were inspired to volunteer after a friend shared a video about the work of Mercy Ships with them.
"One of the stories was about a little boy who had a cataract and how the surgery had changed his life.
"Something stirred in our hearts and we wanted to go and help.
"We have always had a heart for vulnerable populations.
"We have learned so many skills working up at the rest home caring for the elderly at the end of their life and felt we could take these skills to the ship."
Cherie added, "Most of our life we've wanted to do mission work but we've never really known how to go about it or where God would lead us in that area.
"When we saw the Mercy Ships video we thought it was something we could do."
She said both were "looking forward to learning about the people of Africa and their culture, spending time with the people, and journeying with them during their time on Mercy Ships".
"We also look forward to learning the basics of a new language and meeting other volunteers from different countries and nations."
Kiwis from all over the country are volunteering aboard the Africa Mercy next year in a variety of roles including information technology, catering, human resources and engineering as well as in a wide range of health care roles.
As the newly built, big-sister hospital ship Global Mercy arrives in Senegal for her first field service, the capacity of Mercy Ships to deliver free surgical services and medical capacity building courses will be multiplied.
About Mercy Ships
Mercy Ships uses hospital ships to deliver free, world-class healthcare services, capacity building, and sustainable development to those with little access in the developing world.
Founded in 1978 by Don and Deyon Stephens, Mercy Ships has worked in more than 55 developing countries, providing services valued at more than NZ$2.5 billion and directly benefitting more than 2.8 million people.
The ships are crewed by volunteers from over 60 nations, with an average of over 1200 volunteers each year. Professionals including surgeons, dentists, nurses, healthcare trainers, teachers, cooks, seamen, engineers, and agriculturalists donate their time and skills. With 16 national offices and an Africa bureau, Mercy Ships seeks to transform individuals and serve nations.
