Three years after Tauranga-based M/V YWAM KOHA was originally donated to charity, the former cargo vessel is ready to embark on its first international aid mission and will take dozens of local volunteers with her.

Tauranga oral and maxillofacial surgeon, Dr Abi Estelle, will be on board and says the humanitarian mission to northern Fiji is a cause she feels passionate about.

'There's a lot of variability across the globe in how easily people can access dental and health care. So being able to be part of something to address that is very rewarding," says Dr Estelle.

Dr Estelle helping communities in need. Photo: Supplied.

M/V YWAM KOHA was gifted to Christian humanitarian organisation YWAM Ships Aotearoa (Youth With A Mission) in March 2019 and was fitted out as a medical aid ship right before Covid shut New Zealand's boarders.

The ship's mobile Trinity Koha Dental Clinics have instead been delivering free dental care on land across the Bay of Plenty for the past year, delivering treatments worth around $550,000 to over 1100 patients.

Managing Director for YWAM Ships Aotearoa Marty Emmett says it's been wonderful to help locals in need but now international travel is again possible, it's time to realise the aspiration of deploying the M/V YWAM KOHA in the Pacific, delivering dental services and medical care to isolated communities.

YWAM KOHA. Photo: Supplied.

The 48m-long ship will set sail for Fiji around July 21 and visit some of the poorest and most isolated communities for the following three months.

'I'm feeling beyond excited that the ship will finally become the koha/gift to the isolated communities in the Pacific that she was intended to be,” says Marty. 'I would estimate there will be in excess of 100 volunteers take part over her upcoming deployment to the northern region of Fiji.”

Dental services will be the key focus but a small medical team will also be on board to work in partnership with local Fijian health workers to assess the primary health needs in each village and collate an accurate picture of what can be done. This will then inform what medical programmes and services YWAM will deliver in future.

Dr Estelle, who works at Tauranga Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery (OMS) and Tauranga Hospital, will spend two weeks on board the ship helping to surgically extract teeth and provide oral health education and support.

'It's very satisfying to be able to help someone get out of acute pain, but the bigger message is showing that we care and that we regard each individual as a valuable human being.”

Dr Estelle on board a dental aid ship. Photo: Supplied.

The 41 year-old has visited over 50 countries and provided medical care in five continents for a variety of international relief organisations in the past, including Haiti, the Philippines and Cameroon. This will be her first official mission with YWAM, aside from having volunteered during their recent Kawerau dental clinic.

'I went to a NZ Dental Association meeting that was held on YWAM KOHA about 18 months ago. I'd been looking for a way to be involved since moving to New Zealand. I thought ‘this was right up my street'. YWAM have a vision that I'd like to join along with.”

Dr Estelle's husband will also travel to Fiji to help undertake construction projects on land, and their 4 year-old son will be along for the ride.

'Living on a ship is always an adventure. The equipment and set-up are quite basic so it's a challenge to make it work and keep things simple," says Dr Estelle.

Managing Director for YWAM Ships Aotearoa Marty Emmett. Photo: John Borren.

Marty says the deployment will cost up to $350,000 – half of which is fuel costs.

'We have already raised $100,000 but need to raise the additional $250,000 in the next two months to cover our fuel bill and the provisioning of the ship with food and medical supplies. So if anyone is keen to partner with us to empower health in the Pacific, we would be most grateful," says Marty.

Donations can be made via www.ywamshipsaotearoa.org.nz/donate or by emailing marty.emmett@ysa.nz.

In addition to delivering free dental care in the Bay, the past 12 months have seen the M/V YWAM KOHA travel to Lyttleton, Wellington, Nelson and Whanganui on port tours to raise awareness as well as undertaking drydock maintenance and upgrades. Extensive crew training has also been undertaken at the ship's home port of Tauranga.

'We will be fully prepared and ready to sail in less than two months,” says Marty. 'We feel the significance of our first mission, to bring hope and health throughout these isolated areas of Fiji.

"We are driven by the belief that everyone should have access to the basic necessities of life, whether it is here locally in the Bay of Plenty, or in a small island in the North of Fiji. Together, as people of Tauranga Moana we can make a measurable impact for the future of our pacific neighbours.

"If this is sounds like a mission that you want to be part of, we look forward to hearing from you.”

Tauranga people waving at the crew on board YWAM KOHA as it left the harbour in 2021 to sail to other ports around NZ. Photo: Supplied.