It’s happening! After months of being tied to the dock, we now have a date and a location for serving in the Pacific. We are excited to finally have more clarity about the deployment of the YWAM KOHA. Together we will begin to deliver health services to the most isolated in the Pacific… but we need your help!
Doors have opened for us to serve in the Northern District of Fiji. Outreaches are being planned for the remote northeast part of Vanua Levu from August 6 through October 15. Our services will be divided into four outreaches lasting two weeks each. This will enable volunteers to fly to Fiji, join the ship, and sail to an outreach location before returning to the airport to pick up a new set of volunteers.
The needs in the Northern District cannot be over exaggerated. For the last two years, COVID has absorbed all the energy and resources of the Fijian Ministry of Health. Other health needs have taken a backseat. It’s our understanding that medical or dental health checks in the district have been severely limited at best.
The isolation of the region creates a significant challenge for anyone with a health need. Only the most desperate attempt a boat ride and bus trip to a medical center. The expense of transportation is often the negating factor in whether to attempt the journey. This area is served by one nurse for the estimated 900 inhabitants. Approximately 250 of these are children. Pre-COVID, the nurse visited each village about once a year. You can imagine how over the recent months health needs have accumulated and worsened, which makes the timing of our vessel’s deployment even more significant.
We are eager to partner with the Fijian Ministry of Health, in the coming years, to support their mission of empowering Fijians to achieve optimal health and well-being. Together we can make this a reality. There are three main ways you can “come with us”:
- Pray for God’s hand on this venture and for the people of Fiji
- Volunteer your time and talents
- Financially partner with us to meet deployment costs
Financially, we need to raise approximately $250,000 to cover the direct deployment costs. This is broken down into two major categories:
- Fuel – $175,000
- Provisions – $75,000 (includes both food and medical/dental supplies)
We already have $50,000 committed towards this goal. Would you help us with our dream of deploying a fully funded medical aid vessel in 2022. Donations can be made through the YWAM Ships Aotearoa website.
Volunteerism is what undergirds the mission of YSA. We are looking for many more people who will give of their time to prepare the YWAM KOHA for deployment, and also when the ship is operating in Fiji.
Applications are available on our website for general, medical, dental and marine professionals to join us for part or all of these outreaches.
Empowering a healthy future for the Pacific is bigger than any one person or organization.
There is a part for each of us. Together we can make a lasting difference in the lives of isolated communities in Fiji.