Doulos Hope’s crew shares experiences through volunteerism

KUCHING (Aug 4): Doulos Hope, now serving as a floating library owned by a faith-based organisation based in Germany, has over 100 crew members of over 30 different nationalities.

Despite their diverse backgrounds, the crew unites with a common goal – to bring hope to the communities they visit.

One of them, 30-year-old Tionge Nyasulu from Zambia, works in the ship’s food and beverage section.

For him, being a volunteer has given him the opportunity to see the world and meet people of all walks of life.

“Before joining the crew, I was already working in food production in Zambia.

“I heard about a ship that travels from country to country, selling books and helping people,” he said, adding that this had prompted him to write an application for volunteering.

It has been 10 months that Tionge is with the Doulos Hope team.

Another crew member, Freddy Hildebrand from Paraguay, said he and his wife enjoyed working on board Doulos Hope because of the strong sense of unity among the crew.

“My wife and I joined in February 2024, so it’s almost six months now.

“I heard about the ship’s volunteer programme from a church member back home, and we were both interested in it,” said Hildebrand, adding that they began volunteering with Doulos Hope right after they got married.

“You can see the unity here, and I believe that if we don’t work in unity, we can’t work together,” said the 29-year-old former administrative officer of a farming company.

Vale Rios Galindo from Colombia, 27, who serves as the communications manager, fondly shared her experience of visiting Kota Kinabalu (KK) during their stop in Sabah last year.

“I remember visiting a remote school in KK where we were treated to a beautiful traditional dance performance and were also taught on the dance steps,” she shared her cultural experience.

“That was such a beautiful moment as we exchanged knowledge of our cultures,” she cited, adding that it was a wonderful opportunity for her to engage with cultures beyond her own.

As the ship approached the Kuching port, Vale remarked how mesmerised she was by the breathtaking view of the ‘Land of the Hornbill’.

In sharing Doulos Hope’s shared mission, director Nathan Schmutz said crew members of Doulos Hope had always found joy and fulfillment in serving others, while fostering unity across diverse cultures.

This, he said, embodied the meaning of ‘Doulos’— a Greek word for ‘one who serves others’.

The Doulos Hope Floating Book Fair is open to the public until this Aug 28, at the Kuching Port Authority in Pending here.

Opening hours are from 2pm to 9pm daily, except on Mondays. Last entry is at 8.30pm.

Entrance fee is RM2 per person. Admission is free for children under 12 and senior citizens aged 65 years and above.