Presidential Visit

This evening, the President of Benin, Dr. Thomas Yayi Boni visited the Africa Mercy Ship and expressed his gratitude to the crew in his address, stating that Mercy Ships is a true friend, as this is the fourth visit of a Mercy Ship to his country. The President was given a guided tour of the Africa Mercy’s hospital, including one of the operating rooms and a visit to patients in one of the wards. In his speech, he quoted from Psalm 41: "Blessed is he that considers the poor." Nearly a third of Benin’s population of 8.5 million residents live on less than $2 a day, according to UN figures. For the past decade, Benin has been at the forefront of African democratization. Yet, the country remains beset with numerous problems, as evidenced by its ranking of 163 out of 177 countries on the Human Development Index.