Claire's mercy mission (From Penarth Times)

Claire's mercy mission

WHEN Claire Boot left Stanwell School six years ago, she never expected to spend her 25th birthday in Liberia, a west African nation recovering from 14 years of civil war.

She is serving on board the Mercy Ship Anastasis, the world's largest non-governmental hospital ship.

Mercy Ships operates a growing fleet of ships dedicated to bringing hope and healing to the world's poorest nations.

In the ship's on-board operating theatres, surgeons remove tumours and correct cleft lips. In rural villages, teams build clinics and dig wells and in classrooms and clinics, educators teach adult literacy and health education.

Claire joined the Anastasis last September as a writer in the communications department.

During a four-month stay in Benin, Claire wrote articles and reports about the work of Mercy Ships after interviewing patients, travelling with medical teams and observing construction projects and literacy classes.

Like all the ship's 350 volunteers, Claire pays to be on board, so the charity's services can be provided free. Claire needs help to fund the next six months of her trip. If you can help, contact her at claire.boot@mercyships.org