Up to you to ask your questions!
We will try to answer it 😉
Feel free to ask us anything; we’ll list the answers here as we go!
When does your adventure begin ?
Our adventure begins… right away! We begin a one-month training at the MercyShips center in Texas on July 1, 2026 (countdown on the homepage), after which we should join the Global Mercy in Ghana on August 2. We received this information in mid-September 2025. Since this news, we have been busy preparing this site, sorting, getting rid of the excess and (pre)organizing our belongings, finding a suitable storage location, subtenants (interested?), venturing into all the administrative procedures, whether it be the transition from the Swiss public school to the school on board, medical checks then vaccinations, and the procedures with the municipality which will allow us to clarify the situation with the various insurance companies, employers, army (as a Swiss citizen, Philippe is still required to serve in the militia army)… we have a lot of work. In addition, Philippe plans to leave his position in the hospital in Solothurn 1-2 months beforehand in order to finalize our preparations, and secondly, but not least, to complete a voluntary (…unpaid) internship in order to deepen his knowledge of pediatric anesthesia in another hospital in order to leave with a solid background for his future role on board.
So our adventure is already well underway in terms of organization, it will probably begin in May in terms of financial dependence on donations… and we will fly at the end of June to join the MercyShips base before actually setting foot on the boat in August 2026!
How long is your comitment ?
The commitment itself will last 2 years, until July 1, 2028. This is the minimum duration for families, due in part to the entire organization of the school on board, the family cabins and the position that Philippe will occupy.
Since when do you plan to go with MercyShips ?
The idea of leaving with MercyShips was born on November 5, 2022. Almost all of our children were immediately ready to leave. We had time to discuss it, and Philippe’s « explorer » comitment in the spring of 2025 dispelled any remaining reservations (see TV report – only in French).