Marine engineer Tomislav Zubovic has become the first volunteer from the Costa cruiseship group to serve onboard the hospital vessel Africa Mercy.

It follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding in March between Costa and Mercy Ships.

Zubovic and future volunteers “will not only lend a helping hand but will also share their knowledge with the other volunteers onboard,” said Michael Thamm, group chief executive of Costa Group and Carnival Asia.

"The collaboration with Mercy Ships enables us to support the people who need it most. As this reflects our key values, our crews are very much looking forward to becoming active and giving back to society.”

Zubovic, who has worked on different group ships including the AIDAsol and AIDAluna, said: "I am very excited about this challenge. We are truly making a difference here and I am looking forward to help operate this ship that gives hope to so many people.”

The Africa Mercy, which is the largest private hospital ship in the world, sets course in August for Doula, Cameroon, a country where life expectancy is only 56 years. The vessel provides free surgical and dental care, while a second ship is being built in China.

Costa Group has committed to provide one engineer onboard continuously and has made a donation of €100,000 ($114,000).

The volunteer programme is only one of several activities that the cruiseship group has agreed with Mercy Ships as part of its partnership. It has also agreed to raise the profile of Mercy Ships with passengers onboard its vessels, while officers and engineers with Mercy Ships have the opportunity to gain sea-service experience on Costa vessels.

Meanwhile, support is being gathered for a second fund-raising Mercy Ships Cargo Day on 4 October. Last year's inaugural event raised more than $300,000 thanks to participation by around 30 charterers, 24 shipowners, and 17 brokers, as well as port agents and service companies.

Cargoes can be committed to participating brokers, port agents and inspection companies, and address commissions donated by charterers and shipowners. Leading companies also made individual donations last year. The Africa Mercy and its activities cost several million dollars to operate per year.

Shipbroker Barry Rogliano Salles’ Geneva-based head of tankers, Tim Webb, who conceived the idea of the Cargo Day along with BRS managing director Gilbert Walter, says current efforts include forming  London and Houston Cargo Day committees, similar to the existing Geneva Cargo Day Committee, to muster support for 4 October in both those markets.

Webb says the target this year is to raise at least $590,000 and if the shipping markets take off, then maybe even $1m, which ”was the dream from the beginning”.

Details of how to participate this year can be found at http://mercyshipscargoday.org