Ships :: From Papua New Guinea to Fiji — Doulos Hope completes her first Pacific Islands visit.
A long time coming
In February 2026, Doulos Hope arrived in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, almost 20 years after the last visit of GBA ships. The Pacific Islands welcomed her with energy and generosity. As she drew into port in Kavieng, Papua New Guinea, local boats came out to meet her, trailing balloons across the water. On shore, the crew were welcomed with traditional dress, dance and song.
Across the Pacific Islands, Doulos Hope welcomed more than 125.000 visitors on board and saw more than106.000 books find new homes. In Suva, Fiji, she welcomed her one millionth bookfair visitor since her launch in 2023. "It was so surprising — once I stepped on board, I heard people shouting and cheering, and they said I was the millionth visitor!" said Amelia. In Rabaul, Papua New Guinea, 6,055 people came on board in a single day, the largest single-day crowd in Doulos Hope's history.
More than a bookfair
"You bring knowledge to those who seek it, support to those who need it and hope to those who long for it," said Siromi Dokonivalu Turaga, Minister of Justice of Fiji.
In Madang, Papua New Guinea, Janet Chow, manager of the minimum-security wing at the local prison, brought 26 detainees on board. Many of them are attending school while in prison and had been looking for books they could not find locally. "Some of the books we don't have here in Madang," she said. "Seeing those books, they saw these books can help them with."
Beyond the bookfair, Doulos Hope hosted a range of cultural events, leadership programmes and training sessions on board throughout the visit, welcoming local leaders and community members from across the region.
Memories across generations
In Rabaul, Papua New Guinea, Joyce Maragil, a visitor, came on board for the fourth time. "Next time you come, I will be here again," she said. The first time she visited, she was a young girl — the same age her youngest child is now. This time, she came back with her children, looking for a book for her youngest son.
Side by side
In Kavieng, Papua New Guinea, Colin Kepas, a former crewmember of sister vessel, Logos Hope, invited a team to visit his community. The crew conducted eye tests and distributed reading glasses. He also sent three young people from his village to serve as port volunteers on board. "My time on Logos Hope prepared me to be a worker for the community," he said. "I want to share the same experience with them."
In Suva, Fiji, a team visited Nanuku, a settlement on the outskirts of the city. Many of the children there come from single-parent families and rarely receive visitors from outside the community. The team spent time playing with them. "There is a lot of hopelessness in the community," said Lisa, a community development leader who works in Nanuku. "When the parents hear their kids coming back saying people from overseas came and spent time with us — for them it's like a little ray of hope."
The next chapter
We are grateful to the local partners, volunteers and communities across the Pacific Islands who made this visit possible. From Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, to Lautoka and Suva in Fiji, then back through Papua New Guinea to Rabaul, Kavieng, Madang and Lae — this was a visit to remember.
To follow Doulos Hope’s journey next, click here.