Seafarers’ Charity Supports Unpaid and Stranded Seafarers in Kenya’s Mombasa Port

Seafarers’ Charity Supports Unpaid and Stranded Seafarers in Kenya’s Mombasa Port

Apostleship of the Sea || By John Green || 31 August 2017

charity of seafarers support stranded in mombasa 2017 A port chaplain in Mombasa, Kenya, has spoken about how the crew of a fishing vessel were not paid their wages, denied shore leave and had to endure poor living conditions on board ever since their ship was detained at the port more than two years ago.

The Taiwanese-owned ship, MV Lean Fong Tsai, first arrived at Mombasa with an Indonesian crew in December 2014. It was detained by Kenya Maritime Authority when port state control officers found the ship to be unseaworthy.

Repairs were still not done by 2015, so the crew were repatriated and a new crew comprising 11 Filipinos, and a Taiwanese engineer and master, were subsequently brought in to take over without the authorities’ knowledge, said George Sunguh from the seafarers’ charity Apostleship of the Sea (AoS).

“The captain repeatedly told the men ‘we will sail next month’, but it never happened. The crew were only provided with rice and chicken, with no vegetables and fruit, and limited drinking water,” said George who is the AoS Coordinator in Mombasa, adding that living conditions on board were dismal.

George added, “The ship owner decided to repatriate the crew without the authorities’ knowledge but one of the seafarers was able to contact police overseas. It was at this point that AoS and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) intervened to assist the men.”

While they were stranded, AoS provided pastoral and practical support to the seafarers; listening to their concerns and helping them keep in contact their families back home. AoS also supported their faith needs by organising Holy Mass for them at the seafarers’ centre in Mombasa, following requests by the crew. The Mass was said by Rev Fr. Willybard Lagho, the AoS Chaplain and the Vicar General of the Catholic Archdiocese of Mombasa.

The ship owner is currently in Mombasa and arrangements have been made for them to be repatriated. Negotiations are also being held to ensure the crew receive their wages.

AoS has also contacted its network of port chaplains based in the Philippines so that the Filipino crew can continue to be supported when they return home.

Additional information

The Apostleship of the Sea, AoS, is a registered charity and agency of the Catholic Bishops’ Conferences of England & Wales and Scotland. It is wholly reliant on voluntary donations and legacies to continue its work.

90% of world trade is transported by ship, and more than 100,000 ships visit British ports each year. However, the life of a modern seafarer can be dangerous and lonely. They may spend up to a year at a time away from home, separated from their family and loved ones, often working in harsh conditions.

AoS chaplains and ship visitors welcome seafarers to our shores – regardless of their colour, race or creed and provide them with pastoral and practical assistance. They recognise them as brothers with an intrinsic human dignity which can be overlooked in the modern globalised maritime industry.

For more information contact John Green, Director of Development on 020 7901 1931 or 07505653801 or email johngreen@apostleshipofthesea.org.uk