GBA Ships is the management company overseeing the running of the vessel Logos Hope with the agreed aim of "bringing knowledge, help and hope to the people of the world"

GBA Ships is a non-profit venture. Half of the funding raised to run operations comes from the sponsorship of personnel on board given by friends, family and other supporters. Another quarter comes from the sale of books and non-book items (such as souvenirs) in the onboard book fair. The last quarter comes from gifts and donations given by individuals, trusts, foundations and community groups. GBA Ships is not a government or corporate funded enterprise. Some local corporate sponsorship in the ports of call helps to cover port and publicity expenses.

Income received through donations or sales on board the ships is used to purchase literature, fund port visit costs, and cover vessel expenses, personnel needs and administration.

With around 45 different nationalities represented on board, the Logos Hope community is regarded as a genuine expression of international goodwill and understanding. The crew and staff are all non-salaried volunteers including many serving in their professional capacity, such as seafarers, engineers, electricians, nurses, teachers and cooks. No one, including the captain, is paid a salary. Each one on board has to have financial sponsorship to cover the costs of travel to and from the ship as well as the costs of his or her time on board.

Although the main aim of the ship is to serve people in the port communities, those on board also benefit personally during their term of service. A structured training programme, combined with work experience and cross-cultural encounters, provides crewmembers with valuable opportunities to learn new skills and develop character. Crewmembers are unified by their faith in God and vision to bring knowledge, help and hope to the port communities they serve around the world.  

“Some of the people onboard have actually lived there for over two years with their children growing up and going to school onboard. They consider the ship to be more their home than back on dry land! It was very interesting to see such a mix of cultures, and it was a pleasure working with the pre-arrival crew; they were always eager to provide information and reply to queries, making us part of the crew’s experience by having us shipping assistants interact with many of their colleagues.” reports Alexandre Barbier in the Shipping Operations department.   

Reference: https://www.gbaships.org/en/