Stena Line CEO Niclas Mårtensson visits Mercy Ships in Benin

589 ports visited & 2,5 M people helped – This is a life-changing contribution!

Mercy Ships | 1 Comment

In January our CEO, Niclas Mårtensson, had the opportunity to visit Mercy Ships hospital ship Africa Mercy, when it was docked in Cotonou, Benin, West Africa – one of the world’s poorest countries. Here he shares his thoughts about his visit, the work Mercy Ships do and our partnership.

“It didn’t take long before I realized that what Mercy Ships do is a life-changing contribution. In Cotonou there is an acute shortage of healthcare with just one doctor for every 17.000 inhabitants. One. For. Every. 17.000. It’s hard to imagine the scale of the problem if you haven’t seen it with your own eyes and if you are lucky to have been born in a country where medical care can be taken for granted. In Benin there are people here who have never received real dental or healthcare. Certain injuries and illnesses are more common here because there are fewer doctors who can perform for instance a C-section.

The problem with poverty and lack of medical care in Benin is far worse than I could have imagined. During my visit to Africa Mercy I not only got to meet the patients and the crew of volunteers, I got to see the operation of the organisation and witness the enormous difference the volunteer’s commitment and knowledge make for these people. To see how Mercy Ships can help a small child in one of the world’s poorest countries, thanks to advanced surgery and tireless volunteers – both impresses and makes me feel humble.

As CEO for a large company as Stena Line I am proud to support the important work Mercy Ships do and I see several areas where we can contribute. For example, Stena Line’s technical expertise and economies of scale can help Mercy Ships to get more time and capital for their patients. We will therefore launch an internal volunteer program where members of our staff can apply to volunteer for Mercy Ships during a couple of months. We will also launch a campaign for all our customers traveling with us, where a donation can be made for each coffee you buy. It doesn’t take much to contribute to changing another person’s life – helping someone to walk, talk or see again. See here what big difference a little donation can do.

Niclas Mårtensson
CEO

We thank Niclas for sharing his story about Mercy Ships with us. How would you like to support Mercy Ships? /Sofia.

About Mercy Ships

Mercy Ships has been working to develop basic health care the world’s poorest countries since it started 1978 in USA. As part of this work, the hospital ship calls at destinations for long periods. Africa Mercy has over 400 volunteers onboard as well as five operating theatres where advanced surgery can be carried out. Conditions treated include tumours, club foot, cleft palate, child-birth injuries and bow-leggedness. Mercy Ships has served in more than 78 port cities with free surgical expertise and healthcare training to the national health workers. Since 1978 Mercy Ships have helped more than 2,5 million people. Read more about Mercy Ships here.