Meet the crew

The Mercy Ships crew is led by a team of volunteers from up to 40 nations, all of whom give their time and expertise for free.

Mercy Ships doesn’t just take doctors and nurses – the ship is a small city, with cooks, teachers, receptionists, mechanics, IT specialists, engineers and cleaners.

There are around 400 volunteers on our hospital ship at any one time, and 1,000 serve onboard throughout the year. One of them could be you! Meet some of them below.

Crew stories

Capt Milo Falsing

Capt Milo Falsing

Dr Ody Agbessi

Dr Ody Agbessi

Denise Ngum

Denise Ngum

The Ainsworths

The Ainsworths

Ruben Galama

Ruben Galama

Val Clarke

Val Clarke

Martha Henderson

Martha Henderson

Elizabeth Myers

Elizabeth Myers

The Littles

The Littles

Alden Plows

Alden Plows

Dr Michelle White

Dr Michelle White

Patricia Royston

Patricia Royston

Ailsa Malone

Ailsa Malone

Hear from the crew

“The best thing about my job is when I learn something new. When I have the feeling that I’m gaining mastery of it, I get excited that I can pour the same thing back into my country.

“Working is not just to earn money, but it’s like a calling that brings passion and life into what you’re doing: especially in serving others.”

Denise Ngum, electrician, in the control room

Denise Ngum, Cameroon

Electrician on the Africa Mercy

“One of the perks of being a seafarer is to see the world, and immerse myself in the cultures of the world. But I always wanted a chance to give back and help people. When an opportunity such as this one surfaced, I jumped at it. Now, not only do I get to see the world, I get to help the less fortunate and work on board a ship!”

Zeng Liang

Zeng Liang, China

Fire Fighting Officer on the Africa Mercy

Sponsored by

Berge Bulk logo

“I chose to volunteer with Mercy Ships as an amazing opportunity to use my skills onboard a ship that is doing such incredible work, and being part of a huge team who all have the same motives is really exciting.”

Alden Plowes

Alden Plows, UK

3rd Officer on the Africa Mercy

“I enjoy the role of Deck Hand very much. I’m involved with painting, engine maintenance, loading and unloading, operating the deck crane, and cleaning. On a night shift, you can find me on the bridge as I check the ship’s fire safety. As I’m used to having an ‘office job’ in the maritime industry, experiencing these operational responsibilities is really interesting to me. I volunteer 40 hours a week and that leaves me with much more free time than I expected. The crew onboard feels like a family because we share important values.”

Jaël van den Berg

Jaël van den Berg, Netherlands

Deck Hand on the Africa Mercy

HELP ERADICATE DISEASES OF POVERTY