Have you ever thought of getting lost in the pages of a good book inside a library while cruising on a calm sea?
 
Docked serenely at the Poro Point Freeport Zone in San Fernando City, La Union, one of the world's largest floating bookshops named Doulos Hope, is unlocking a new core memory for every child in the province.
 
Under the ship's well-lit ceiling, your eyes interact with eye-catching glossy book cover designs carrying titles from an array of genres, an irresistible experience that will blow away any bookworm.

Each shelf contains science, sports, hobbies, language, faith, and bedtime stories for kids, among others.
 
Doulos Hope is a ship owned by GBA Ships, a non-profit organization registered in Germany that focuses on serving the Southeast Asia region, including the Philippines.
 
Similar to its sister ship, Logos Hope, Doulos Hope’s mission is to share knowledge, help, and hope.
 
Nathan Schmutz, director of Doulos Hope, said their staff and crew share knowledge by giving the community access to literature at a low cost.

“We want to instill their passion for reading because we believe that there’s such a huge potential as such a blessing in reading and getting good quality literature to our hands and growing through it,” Schmutz said.
 
For them, sharing knowledge also means cultural exchange as they have seen and heard people of different stories, with different nationalities, and cultural experiences.
 
“So we really want to invite everybody that comes on board for us to learn from one another, to share health to practical aid, to send out our teams into the country to do different projects,” he added.

Doulos Hope, through its team, seeks to share hope by lifting people in unity amongst diversity, diversity in different ways and senses.
 
“We live in a world today where we uplift viewpoints but I believe that we have been called to love and support one another and this is what we want to live as a community and we want to invite the people here in La Union to go on board and be part of this milestone,” he said.

La Union Gov. Raphaelle Veronica Ortega-David extended her heartfelt gratitude to the return of the ship not only to evoke childhood memories but to create new ones as they continue with their mission to spread goodwill across the globe and epitomize the spirit of service and cooperation like the practice of ‘bayanihan’ in the province.
 
“We thank you for being bound by one advocacy, one goal, that you have found the calling of each and everyone who is here on board this ship, regardless of your cultural background, or what nationality you are,” said Gov. Ortega-David.
 
She urged the public to learn from Doulos Hope that regardless of personal beliefs, personal principles, or even personal backgrounds to be bounded by love for the province so they can all work together to have more communities, in having a home that is worth living.
 
To date, the governor will be sponsoring 100 children from far-flung areas to board the ship and bring home good books.
 
“Through this initiative, they will be able to create core memories for them, and be able to relive the moment they step foot in the floating book fair Doulos Hope who exudes hope, passion, and love from our children in the entire world,” she explained.

Over the next few years, the community on board is eager to learn from local communities as much as they can to look for possibilities to partner with local organizations.
 
Since acquiring the vessel, they have been grateful to see the great support they have received and the generosity of those who have come alongside them on the journey.
 
Doulos Hope is open Tuesdays through Sundays from 2:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. with 8:00 p.m. as the last entry.
 
The ship is closed on Mondays.
 
One may pre-register at https://thelittleboxoffice.com/douloshope/ or visit the Facebook Page Doulos Hope (Doulos Hope) for convenience.
 
The book fair is open until March 24, 2024,  with an entrance fee of P50 and this will be free of charge for senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and children who are 12 years old and below. (JCR/MJTAB/KJCR, PIA La Union)