Youth With A Mission Liberty Director has confirmed that they their medical vessel will continue serving communities in Madang Province, with a strong focus on rural and coastal areas.
Youth with a mission (YWAM) Liberty Director Kristy Wilke said her team arrived in Madang in January 2025, with their ship now based at the former Lutheran dock, which has been leased to the organisation for the next 50 years.
She said the long-term plan is to continue delivering vital medical and community services across the province, particularly in Rai Coast and surrounding island communities.
“In 2025 alone, we provided more than 20,000 medical services to people in remote areas,” Wilke said.
The YWAM Liberty team travels by sea, anchoring near villages and sending medical teams ashore to set up temporary clinics. Patients requiring further treatment are transported back to the ship.
Services provided include general medical care, dental treatment, and cataract surgeries, restoring sight to patients who have lived with vision impairment for up to 10 to 15 years.
In addition to healthcare, the organisation is also involved in distributing thousands of eyeglasses and delivering health education programs to local communities.
Wilke highlighted that Madang Province is one of the most linguistically diverse regions in the world, and YWAM Liberty is supporting oral Bible translation programs to help communities access scriptures in their own languages.
“We work alongside language groups, supporting those already engaged in translation work and helping others begin the process,” she said.
All services provided by YWAM Liberty are free of charge and funded through donations from both international and local supporters. She acknowledged contributions from leaders within Papua New Guinea, including support from Members of Parliament.
The organisation is also partnering with groups such as Samaritan’s Purse to deliver community programs like Operation Christmas Child, distributing gifts and supplies to children in remote villages.
For 2026, the team has paused outreach voyages to focus on supporting health services within Madang town. Wilke said the decision was made after consultations with doctors at Modilon Hospital, which is currently under pressure.
“We are helping to ease the burden by running clinics and sending experienced doctors to assist at the hospital,” she said.
One such example is a senior pediatric specialist with over 30 years of experience, who is currently working alongside local staff to support child healthcare services.
YWAM Liberty will remain in Madang until at least June 2026, continuing to provide primary healthcare, distribute eyeglasses, and assist local health facilities.
“We are here to serve the people of Papua New Guinea in any way we can,” Wilke said.
