A charity ship is set to sail into the capital next month, the latest port of call on its ongoing mission to bring ‘knowledge, help and hope’ to the world.
The Logos Hope, a former car passenger ferry built in 1973, is owned and operated by non-profit organisation GBA Ships, and its crew travels the world to help communites in need.
The boat sustains itself by selling books at each destination, and organisers hope to welcome loads of book fans onboard when it docks in Abu Dhabi early next month.
More than 5,000 titles will be for sale when the Logos Hope ties up in Mina Port, with free entry for all who want to browse the shelves.
All money raised through book sales on the vessel goes towards funding the running of the ship, in addition to paying for the various charity projects the crew tackle around the globe.
“We’ve been able to reach out and help impoverished communities around the world,” said project manager, Katrina Lynch. “We have provided mobile dentist clinics in a number of different locations, given water filters to people in Cambodia so they can access clean drinking water, and set up projects helping street children in the Philippines.”
The boat is run entirely by a team of volunteers from 50 different countries. Since being founded in 1970, GBA Ship boats have visited over 100 countries and the Logos Hope, which was launched into active operation in 2009, has had three million visitors so far. This is Logos Hope’s second visit to the capital; in 2011 the boat was in Abu Dhabi and welcomed 42,000 guests on board.
The bookstore covers three quarters of the deck and has a café where visitors can sit and relax with their books.
The boat is open for visitors from the 6th November until the 24th and will be operating every day from 2pm to 10pm. On Wednesdays there will be a women’s only morning from 9am to 12pm. The ship is expected to dock in the Mina Zayed area next to the Iranian market. For more information visit: www.gbaships.org
