More than 120 community leaders, dignitaries and other guests gathered on board the hospital ship, the Africa Mercy® (May 15th) to celebrate the imminent start of international charity Mercy Ships’ (www.MercyShips.org) impactful surgical interventions in Madagascar.

After extensive preparations for the hospital’s launch, attendees including the Mayor of Toamasina, Nantenaina Rakotonirina, Interim Governor of Atsinanana, Bemahefa Gervais and the Representative of Public Health of Atsinanana, Razafiariosoa Celestine Vavy, were excited to go on board. An international delegation from Mercy Ships traveled to the dock to witness the landmark moment. 

Since arriving in the country in February, the Africa Mercy implemented an extensive strategy to ensure the broad reach of its services, covering diverse regions within Madagascar. With registrations spanning 12 locations across the country. This marks Mercy Ships’ fourth field service in Madagascar, following previous visits in 1996, 2015 and 2016. Over the course of previous visits, Mercy Ships collaborated with the government and Ministry of Health to provide more than 6,425 life-changing surgical procedures and over 52,395 dental procedures. In addition to these surgeries, Mercy Ships has a longstanding commitment to education, having trained 2,019 healthcare professionals in the past.   

Mrs. Razafiarisoa Celestine added: “The partnership with the government is crucial as it addresses gaps the government cannot fill, whether financial or temporal. Mercy Ships bridges these gaps, embodying a public-private partnership between the Malagasy government and Mercy Ships. They provide indispensable help, especially for those in dire need. This partnership is invaluable and highly complementary to the efforts of the Malagasy government.”

Through an education, training, and advocacy strategy, the organization, in collaboration with Madagascar’s Ministry of Health, aims to increase the number of surgical providers, deliver training across the surgical ecosystem, develop sustainable educational programs, establish a network of healthcare providers, and advocate for the importance of surgery in healthcare globally.   

Dr. Toky Rafanomezantsoa, said: “I am delighted that the ship is here to serve the Malagasy population and provide high-quality surgical interventions free of charge. This ship is well-equipped, and the staff, who are volunteers from around the world, are highly trained. We are privileged to receive the quality they can offer.  Malagasy medical professionals, including doctors, nurses, and medical students, will benefit from the training and experiences shared with the ship’s staff and the equipment it carries.” 

In just two weeks from the gathering on board, patients will begin boarding the ship docked in Toamasina to receive life-changing surgeries.

The Africa Mercy Managing Director Nathan Jansen said: “We are excited to provide more than 1,000 surgeries and train more than 40 Malagasy medical professionals on board. We will be working with in country partnerships to train and equip medical professionals across the nation.  We have had a joyous time revisiting some former patients since our arrival in February and seeing how surgery has transformed their lives. We are also seeing professors that are still teaching the simulation courses that were initiated by Mercy Ships, and seeing the interns that are still benefiting from this.”

Hospital Director of the Africa Mercy, Merryl Mackenzie, has achieved, together with her team, an impressive feat of installing brand new medical equipment. “We cannot wait to see the impact this field service will have on transforming lives in Madagascar and increasing access to surgical care and education.” 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Mercy Ships.

For more Information about Mercy Ships, contact:
Sophie Barnett
Mercy Ships International PR Manager
sophie.barnett@mercyships.org

Social Media: 
Twitter: https://apo-opa.co/3QNL5cE

ABOUT MERCY SHIPS:  
Mercy Ships operates hospital ships that deliver free surgeries and other healthcare services to those with little access to safe medical care. An international faith-based organization, Mercy Ships has focused entirely on partnering with African nations for the past three decades. Working with in-country partners, Mercy Ships also provides training to local healthcare professionals and supports the construction of in-country medical infrastructure to leave a lasting impact.   
Each year, more than 3,000 volunteer professionals from over 60 countries serve on board the world’s two largest non-governmental hospital ships, the Africa Mercy® and the Global Mercy™. Professionals such as surgeons, dentists, nurses, health trainers, cooks, and engineers dedicate their time and skills to accelerate access to safe surgical, obstetric and anesthetic care. Mercy Ships was founded in 1978 and has offices in 16 countries as well as an Africa Service Center in Dakar, Senegal. For more information, visit www.MercyShips.org and follow MercyShips on social media (https://apo-opa.co/3QNL5cE).  

RS South Africa (https://Africa.RSdelivers.com/), a trading brand of RS Group plc (LSE: RS1), a global provider of product and service solutions, is showcasing the significant updates to its Africa Export Solutions website that came into effect last year.

The updates have enhanced customer convenience by enabling purchases in various currencies, explains Sales Director Erick Wessels. “Essentially our ecommerce platform now allows clients to transact in a range of popular currencies.” This can be done easily by means of a simple dropdown menu.

“We initially only had U.S. dollars as it was the main forex reserve currency in Southern Africa,” explains Wessels. However, customer feedback from various key corporates indicated a preference to be able to transact in different currencies such as euros and pounds.

“We then decided to introduce this added functionality online as our offline SAP system has historically allowed customers to trade in any currencies. It meant it was not difficult to integrate and certainly did not require any major overhaul of our website, which is highly user-friendly and simple to navigate,” adds Wessels.

Many British businesses set up operations in lucrative African markets like Kenya and remit to their home office in the UK in pounds, so it made sense for RS to facilitate that process and assist such customers specifically.

“It was mainly a question of enhancing our customer experience and responding to feedback, especially in the face of a dynamic and ever-shifting online trading environment, where responsiveness, user-friendliness and flexibility are key,” highlights Wessels.

This, in turn, also allows such companies to trade with each other in the currency of their respective head offices, especially in Germany and France, where many of RS’s major suppliers are headquartered. “By differentiating our currency base on our ecommerce platform, we are able to accommodate these customers directly and thereby grow our market share and customer loyalty throughout the region,” says Wessels.

The Institute of Export&International Trade, comparing RS Export Solutions with an average exporter, has established that it can cut costs by 20% and increase processing efficiencies by 15%. “This reiterates that we are experts at export,” adds Wessels.

RS has the expertise to ensure the prompt delivery of trusted brands across the globe. Using direct export or via its third-party distributor network, RS can meet diverse customer requirements with a complete end-to-end solution or support with advice and paperwork, transforming processing times and guaranteeing compliancy.

Find out more about RS Africa Solutions (https://apo-opa.co/4bNUzN3) here.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of RS South Africa.

Former NBA (www.NBA.com) Player Muggsy Bogues Attends Launch Event in Luanda; Program to Reach 10,000 Youth Participants This Year Through; Jr. NBA Clinics and STEM Programs.

ExxonMobil and NBA Africa today announced the launch of a new Jr. NBA league in Luanda, Angola operated by PanAfricare, a non-profit organization that seeks to improve the health, education and productivity of African communities. The new league, which features 40 boys’ and girls’ teams for youth ages 16 and under, tipped off its inaugural season on Friday, May 17, at Escola Nº 2055 Quedas de Kalandula with former NBA player Muggsy Bogues in attendance. 

The league, which will reach more than 10,000 youth participants this year through basketball clinics, competitions and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) sessions and culminate with the playoffs and finals in September, will also feature all-girls basketball clinics as part of the NBA’s Her Time to Play initiative, which provides opportunities for girls and women to play basketball and pursue careers in coaching and athletic leadership.   

“ExxonMobil is very proud to work with NBA Africa to leverage the sport of basketball and develop the youth in Angola,” said ExxonMobil Angola Lead Country Manager Katrina Fisher. “Together we will not only grow the game, but will also support personal development of our youth. Just as in STEM fields, where experimentation and collaboration are key, sports teach young individuals the value of perseverance and working together towards a common goal.”

“Launching a new Jr. NBA league in Angola, where there is a strong tradition and affinity for basketball, will provide more opportunities for Angolan youth to learn and play the game,” said NBA Africa Head of Basketball Operations Franck Traore. “We look forward to continuing our collaboration with ExxonMobil and using the game to teach important life skills that have application on the court and in life.”

“The youth are pivotal to Africa’s growth and hold the potential to lead and solve an array of socioeconomic challenges limiting sustainable development in their communities,” said PanAfricare Director of Programs Rachel Ochako. “We are honored to be collaborating with ExxonMobil and NBA Africa to provide a platform for the youth to strengthen their leadership skills and use the game of basketball to further develop their interest in and knowledge of STEM.”

The launch of the Jr. NBA League in Angola follows ExxonMobil and NBA Africa’s launch of a Jr. NBA league in Maputo, Mozambique last month.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of National Basketball Association (NBA).

Contacts:
Katia Mariano
ExxonMobil Angola Communications
katia.mariano@exxonmobil.com
+244 922 613 814

Vanusa Manuel
ExxonMobil Angola Communications
vanusa.f.manuel@exxonmobil.com
+244 922 613 814

Chumani Bambani
NBA Africa Communications
cbambani@nba.com
+27 65 548 1031

Elsa Mbumba
PanAfricare Communications
elsaeduarda8@hotmail.com
+244 928 575 611

About ExxonMobil:
ExxonMobil, one of the largest publicly traded international oil and gas companies, uses technology and innovation to help meet the world’s growing energy needs. 

The ExxonMobil Foundation is the primary philanthropic arm of the Exxon Mobil Corporation in the United States. The Foundation engages in a range of philanthropic initiatives in areas where the company operates around the world, with a strategic focus on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education.

ExxonMobil in Angola also has 18 percent participating interest in Block 17 and 15 percent participating interest in Block 32. Since 2020, ExxonMobil affiliates operate Blocks 30, 44 and 45 in the Namib Basin offshore Angola with 60 percent participating interest in the three blocks.

About NBA Africa:
NBA Africa is an affiliate of the National Basketball Association (NBA), a global sports and media organization with the mission to inspire and connect people everywhere through the power of basketball. NBA Africa conducts the league’s business in Africa, including the Basketball Africa League (BAL), and has opened subsidiary offices in Cairo, Egypt; Dakar, Senegal; Lagos, Nigeria; and Nairobi, Kenya. The NBA has a long history in Africa and opened its African headquarters in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2010. The league’s efforts on the continent have focused on increasing access to basketball and the NBA through youth and elite development, social responsibility, media distribution, corporate partnerships, NBA Africa Games, NBA Stores, the BAL, and more. 

NBA games and programming are available in all 54 African countries, and the NBA has hosted three sold-out exhibition games on the continent since 2015.  The BAL, a partnership between the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and NBA Africa, is a professional league featuring 12 club teams from across Africa that tipped off its fourth season in March 2024. Fans can follow @NBA_Africa and @theBAL on Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube.

About PanAfricare:
PanAfricare is the future of Africa: development in Africa led by Africans. PanAfricare is a non-profit organization, with its headquarters in Senegal, committed to the fundamental principles of delivering on the promise made by Africare 50 years ago of improving life in Africa. Our core areas of expertise are Health, Agriculture/Food Security and Capacity Strengthening. In 2023, PanAfricare invested over $5 million in diverse projects, benefitting over one million Africans across seven different countries: Angola, Burkina Faso, Chad, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal and Zimbabwe. PanAfricare strongly believes in youth empowerment for sustainable development in Africa. In the last two years, PanAfricare has engaged youth in diverse ways, among them using sports to build their roles in leadership in health initiatives in their communities, including behavior change communication and building capacity of youth groups in entrepreneurship increase household incomes.

Etu Energias – Angola’s largest private oil producer – has joined the Angola Oil&Gas (AOG) conference and exhibition as a silver sponsor. The company’s return to the event signals a strong commitment to Driving Exploration and Development Towards Increased Production in Angola – the theme of this year’s event.

Etu Energias – formerly Somoil – has set a target to produce 50,000 barrels per day (bpd) by 2025 and 100,000 bpd by 2030, with investments in exploration and partnerships with other Angolan operators representing a key strategy to achieve this goal. Active across the entire oil and gas value chain, Etu Energias’ goal to increase production aligns with the company’s vision to contribute to the development of the Angolan economy. During the AOG 2024 conference this October, the company will unpack this strategy while engaging with global project developers and investors.

AOG is the largest oil and gas event in Angola. Taking place with the full support of the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas; national oil company Sonangol; the National Oil, Gas and Biofuels Agency; the African Energy Chamber; and the Petroleum Derivatives Regulatory Institute, the event is a platform to sign deals and advance Angola’s oil and gas industry. To sponsor or participate as a delegate, please contact sales@energycapitalpower.com.

As an integrated company, Etu Energias’ projects range from upstream exploration and downstream distribution to renewable energy development and consulting services. Upstream, the company secured a strategic investment of $60 million in November 2023 as part of a $190 million debt facility to support asset acquisition in Angola. With the finance, Etu Energias acquired a 20% stake in the deepwater Block 14 and a 10% stake in the deepwater Block 14K – situated offshore. The transaction doubled Etu Energias’ production capacity from 9,000 bpd to 19,000 bpd.

Currently, Etu Energias is operator of Blocks FS-FST, 2/05, CON-1 and CON-4. The company also has interests in Blocks 3/05, 3.05A, 4/05, 17/06, CON-6, 14 and 14K. By 2030, Etu Energias aims to consolidate its position as an operator in onshore, shallow and mature fields; participate in golden blocks through partnerships; develop a medium-sized network of fueling stations; and reestablish onshore storage and export for production at FST, Block 2/05, Block 3/05 and new blocks acquired in the onshore Congo basin.

Downstream, Etu Energias launched a lubricant line in March 2024 in collaboration with petroleum producer Gilde Technology. A joint venture (JV) was established to spearhead the development of a lubricant facility in Angola’s capital city Luanda, which will have a capacity of 1,000 tons per month. Set to begin construction in 2025, the JV aims to capture 25% of the market share by 2029.

Etu Energias sponsorship at AOG 2024 reflects a commitment to meeting these goals while bolstering production growth in Angola even further. During the 2023 edition of the conference, the company signed a Technical Services Agreement with oilfield services company SLB for the development of Block 2/5. This year’s conference will see similar deals signed as major operators such as Etu Energias commit to the development of the Angolan oil and gas industry.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital&Power.