A group of over 10 volunteers from the Rotary Club of Monrovia Liberia were recently onboard the hospital ship Africa Mercy, giving up their time to help patients served onboard.

Together with the hospital ship's pharmacy team, the Rotarians pre-packed medicines that many eye and facial surgery patients will take home when they leave the ship. According to Mercy Ships pharmacy head Tim Batt, they accomplished a workload that would have taken the pharmacy team onboard several days to perform.

The Rotary Club of Monrovia is partnering with the Rotary Club in Jacksonville, Florida and the Rotary Foundation to provide Mercy Ships with a grant that supports free eye and maxillofacial surgeries for Liberians onboard the Africa Mercy.

"This is a fantastic opportunity for us and our Rotary Club to support the life-changing work of the Mercy Ship here in Liberia in a practical, hands-on way. We are excited that we could have this opportunity to help them help our fellow Liberians," said Monique Cooper, Community Services Director for the Rotary Club of Monrovia.

The Rotary Club of Monrovia is the local chapter of Rotary International, a community service organization established in 1905 to foster the ideals of service among professionals in their communities of work and life. After losing its charter during the civil crisis, the Rotary Club of Monrovia was re-chartered in August 2000 and has since rededicated itself to Rotary's motto of Service Above Self.

The Monrovia Rotarians who gave of their time to the Mercy Ships pharmacy project were Monique Cooper, Foday Keita, David Vinton, George Gooding, Wheatonia Barnes, Sam Mintah, Elizabeth Sele Mulbah, Felicia Coleman, Deanna Geekor, S. Reginald Pratt and Charles Roberts.

Several Rotary clubs in West Africa including those from Tema, Ghana and Freetown Sierra Leone have also come alongside the Mercy Ships effort over the past years, partnering to bring practical assistance to those served by the ship's free healthcare. Internationally, Rotary is considered a strategic partner in Mercy Ships mission to bring hope and healing to the people of Africa said a Mercy Ships spokesperson.