Mombasa is set to Host World’s Largest Floating Library.
The advent of the MV Logos Hope, the world’s largest book fanfare, in August has given the country’s tourism industry a boost.
The MV Logos will visit Mombasa 18 years after its identical sister ship Duolos.
It will arrive at the Mbaraki Wharf on the 21st of August and be accessible to the general public from August 23 to October 3, on a weekly basis from Tuesday to Sunday, from August 23 to the third of October A crew for advanced preparations has already arrived in the country.
Constanza Figueroa, a member of the advance team, stated during a press briefing that the ship operated by GBA (Good Books for All) aims to share knowledge, provide assistance, and instill optimism in each port it visits. It has reached out to more than 150 nations and territories.
“Visitors to Logos Hope have access to an extensive selection of over 5,000 unique book titles at reasonable pricing. They include topics such as science, sports, activities, cooking, the arts, medicine, languages, and religion.
Figueroa explained that the book fair has something for all, including children’s books, scholarly works, dictionaries, and atlases.
She added that the ship has an international crew, consisting of Kenyans and volunteers from around 60 countries who reside and work on board for one or more years.
She lauded Kenyans for their hospitality and urged them to extend the same courtesy to the over 300 volunteers who will embark the ship.
The personnel of the ship are going to foster literacy and education, intercultural cooperation, social consciousness, and the compassion of God for humanity as a whole.
Figueroa said, the ship’s crew will offer charity and support to the community and collaborate with community groups in order to give hope to the people.
After touring Abu Dhabi, Nicolas Civilotti, a member of the advance team, reported that the ship is presently cruising to Muscat, Oman. It will travel to the Seychelles prior to arriving in Mombasa.
Civilotti stated that the ship’s personnel will transfer knowledge and make donations to local health-related organizations.
Marine Services Manager at Inchcape Services Walid Timimi stated that they are collaborating with a multi-stakeholder committee in preparation for the World’s Largest Floating Library arrival.
“We are pleased to have two Kenyans working in the engine room, and we anticipate they will form partnerships with numerous organizations while they are aboard. As part of this initiative, they have partnered with the Bandari Maritime Academy, and there will be a collaborative training for seafarers in August, according to Timimi.
He added that Kenya will have access to numerous opportunities while collaborating with GBA.
Timimi stated, “We are pleased that GBA has considered the new ship coming to Mombasa this time, and we hope it will pave the way for more of their ships to visit this side of the globe.”
