Save mothers and children in the Mediterranean Sea

The upcoming winter season has not slowed down the flux of migrants across the Mediterranean. The scafists are now transporting their human cargo on smaller and even more unbalanced boats. High waves and strong winds add incredibly high risks to the navigation.

It became necessary to make an extra organizational effort and ask some of our medical volunteers to expand their mission to long term, in order to be able to be embarked on Navy ships that operate no stop for up to two months at a time in the very front line, far South in the Mediterranean waters, right where human lives are now more in danger.

A few of our volunteers have been willing to serve for the second, third and even fourth time, taking unpaid leave from their jobs.

Volunteer midwife Giusy, on her third mission: "Yesterday we rescued 200 hundred migrants. They were all from the Horn of Africa . As always many young men, but also a very high number of women, some of them pregnant, and children under two years. All of them were exhausted by long journeys, months of pilgrimages... Some were showing obvious signs of ill-treatment (scars from whippings , gunshot wounds , knife cuts .... ).  What do you say in front of 17-18 month old children with countless marks of cigarette burns on their tiny bodies? You take a deep breath and move on .... Courage." 

Pietro, gynecologist, returning from his fourth mission: "I am very attached to this photo. It seems to me that it expresses  the touching love between father and daughter, the despair of fleeing their country in war, the sweetness of finding themselves in a safe place, at last." 

We want to share this image of hope. Save and rescue can't stop. This project needs your support.