Meet the college friends who upped sticks to live and work on a hospital ship on the African coast. <br /><br />Grace Bennett-Flint, 26, and Kayla Cassaletto, 26, graduated together in 2019 and began normal working lives on land.<br /><br />But two years on, teacher Grace, from Colombus, Indiana, decided she wanted to teach overseas.<br /><br />She signed up as a volunteer with Mercy Ships - then convinced Kayla, from Goshen, Indiana, to do the same.<br /><br />The organisation deploys huge hospital ships to some of the world's poorest countries to provide free healthcare and training.<br /><br />For the past two years they have lived on one of Mercy Ships' two vessels - and are currently on their brand-new ship, Global Mercy.<br /><br />Currently docked in the port of Dakar, Senegal, Grace and Kayla shared what life is like - from special sea training to teaching multilingual classes and eating at sea.<br /><br />Grace, who teaches second-graders, said: "When I'm in school teaching I actually forget I'm on a ship.<br /><br />"That's until you go to leave and have to scan your badge and walk down a gangway before you can get off!"<br /><br />Grace and Kayla met at a college open day and ended up going to Cedarville University, Ohio, US together.<br /><br />With Grace studying Early Childhood Education and Kayla studying Sports, they graduated together in 2019.<br /><br />They both got separate jobs in separate places - with Grace working in a children's home and Kayla coaching cross country at a college.<br /><br />But the friends reunited again after Grace decided to volunteer with Mercy Ships - and invited Kayla to join her.<br /><br />Grace said: "I had heard about Mercy Ships when I was little and then I thought about them again.<br /><br />"I signed up - then I told Kayla, and she said she would come too."<br /><br />Kayla, who teaches PE on board, added: "I always wanted a job working with kids but didn’t study education - so I said yes."<br /><br />In June 2021 they completed training in Texas before boarding Africa Mercy in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, in September 2021.<br /><br />In January 2022, they moved to join the Global Mercy ship - Mercy Ships' newest vessel, where they have been ever since.<br /><br />The ship is a floating hospital and training centre with capacity for 950 crew and guests.<br /><br />It features a 682-seat auditorium, 125 student school, a gymnasium, a pool, a café, a store and a library when the ship is docked.<br /><br />It is within the school that Grace and Kayla both teach - and the pair also share a two-bedroom cabin with a bathroom for when they're not working.<br /><br />At mealtimes, everyone eats in a huge dining hall with a buffet of different fresh food every meal - such as African foods, Mexican night, and even a pizza night.<br /><br />They stay aboard the ship during term times while they're teaching, and are able to go home for Christmas and over the Summer holidays.<br /><br />The hospital ships are primarily docked in ports and only move to travel between ports or for maintenance.<br /><br />They work from a ship because over 50% of the world's population live within 100 miles of the coast - making urgent healthcare more accessible.<br /><br />This is particularly key in in areas like sub-Saharan Africa, where nine out of 10 people can't access safe surgery when needed.<br /><br />Since being on board Grace and Kayla have visited Senegal, Antwerp, Tenerife and Rotterdam.
