From ER to Africa
Donation protected
:: BIENVENUE ::
Hello there and welcome to my GoFundMe page.
About Me:
My name is Amber and this is my story.
I am a registered nurse from the USA serving on board the worlds largest NGO hospital ship, currently docked in Dakar, Senegal.
Mercy Ships is a Christian NGO that uses hospital ships to provide hope and healing through free surgical care as well as surgical mentor ship programs through Medical Capacity Building to developing countries along the coast of West Africa.
I first came to the ship in January 2017 when the ship was serving in Cotonou, Benin. During my 5 month commitment, I worked as a pediatric ward nurse on the General Surgery ward, caring for General and Plastics post-operative patients. After my first 4 weeks on board I was hooked! Everything from working a living along side my patients to the close community life on board, I loved it all. I knew I wanted to return to serve in the next field service and signed up as soon as I could.
I returned the following year to work with the ship in Douala, Cameroon. I served from January to May of 2018, this time as a ward nurse on the Maxillo-facial ward. It was during this time that I felt I needed a change. I had a strong desire to pursue a new position within the organization, outside of the wards and one that required a longer commitment. After much prayer and discussion with family, friends and other departments on ship, I decided and was asked to work as a screening nurse for the upcoming Guinea field service.
I returned to the ship and worked the entire field service from August 2018- June 2019 as a screening nurse in Conakry, Guinea. Toward the end of that service, with changes occurring within the screening team, I decided to step into a new role for the coming field service as Screening Clinical Supervisor. I arrived in Dakar, Senegal at the end of November 2019 and my current commitment is until June 2021. I am so excited to learn and grow in this new role and serve the organization and the people of Africa in a new way.
About Mercy Ships:
Mercy Ships provides FREE surgeries to the people of Africa! Yes you heard me... FREE! But as we all know, in order for anything to be "free" for someone else, there is always a sacrifice that has to be made.
In order to make the surgeries free for the people, the volunteers are actually paying to work there. So everyone pays, from the cooks and the housekeepers, the engineers and the carpenters, to the nurses and surgeons.
What does this mean? In order for me to be able to work and care for these patients and for the surgeons to provide them the necessary surgeries and medical care, each crew member must pay their monthly crew fees. In addition to this, we must each be able to pay for our transportation to and from the ship (i'm talking about airfare). There are additional fees, such as missionary training programs and personal expenses added into this, as well. (yea, we pay for our own toilet paper, and I know so do you, but remember... we don't make any wages)
Would you please prayerfully consider donating to my mission so that I could continue to go and work with this wonderful organization, providing hope and healing to the worlds lost and forgotten.
If you would like to find out more information about Mercy Ships please go to www.mercyships.org
If you would like to find out more about my journey please visit my blog at
fromertoafrica.com
Hello there and welcome to my GoFundMe page.
About Me:
My name is Amber and this is my story.
I am a registered nurse from the USA serving on board the worlds largest NGO hospital ship, currently docked in Dakar, Senegal.
Mercy Ships is a Christian NGO that uses hospital ships to provide hope and healing through free surgical care as well as surgical mentor ship programs through Medical Capacity Building to developing countries along the coast of West Africa.
I first came to the ship in January 2017 when the ship was serving in Cotonou, Benin. During my 5 month commitment, I worked as a pediatric ward nurse on the General Surgery ward, caring for General and Plastics post-operative patients. After my first 4 weeks on board I was hooked! Everything from working a living along side my patients to the close community life on board, I loved it all. I knew I wanted to return to serve in the next field service and signed up as soon as I could.
I returned the following year to work with the ship in Douala, Cameroon. I served from January to May of 2018, this time as a ward nurse on the Maxillo-facial ward. It was during this time that I felt I needed a change. I had a strong desire to pursue a new position within the organization, outside of the wards and one that required a longer commitment. After much prayer and discussion with family, friends and other departments on ship, I decided and was asked to work as a screening nurse for the upcoming Guinea field service.
I returned to the ship and worked the entire field service from August 2018- June 2019 as a screening nurse in Conakry, Guinea. Toward the end of that service, with changes occurring within the screening team, I decided to step into a new role for the coming field service as Screening Clinical Supervisor. I arrived in Dakar, Senegal at the end of November 2019 and my current commitment is until June 2021. I am so excited to learn and grow in this new role and serve the organization and the people of Africa in a new way.
About Mercy Ships:
Mercy Ships provides FREE surgeries to the people of Africa! Yes you heard me... FREE! But as we all know, in order for anything to be "free" for someone else, there is always a sacrifice that has to be made.
In order to make the surgeries free for the people, the volunteers are actually paying to work there. So everyone pays, from the cooks and the housekeepers, the engineers and the carpenters, to the nurses and surgeons.
What does this mean? In order for me to be able to work and care for these patients and for the surgeons to provide them the necessary surgeries and medical care, each crew member must pay their monthly crew fees. In addition to this, we must each be able to pay for our transportation to and from the ship (i'm talking about airfare). There are additional fees, such as missionary training programs and personal expenses added into this, as well. (yea, we pay for our own toilet paper, and I know so do you, but remember... we don't make any wages)
Would you please prayerfully consider donating to my mission so that I could continue to go and work with this wonderful organization, providing hope and healing to the worlds lost and forgotten.
If you would like to find out more information about Mercy Ships please go to www.mercyships.org
If you would like to find out more about my journey please visit my blog at
fromertoafrica.com
Organizer
Amber Elyse
Organizer
Paoli, PA
