Help vulnerable women and their children survive after making a desperate and dangerous journey.

Why we care: In October 2013, a boat carrying 200 refugees fleeing the Syrian crisis sank off Lampedusa, an island near Sicily. Mothers escaping death for a possible life continue to make the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean Sea.

How we’re solving this: By providing a ship of hope to mothers and their children, who in the midst of escaping death in their home country end up in life-threatening waters off the coast of Italy. With your support, Fondazione Francesca Rava will carry out five life-saving medical missions.

In the wake of tragedies like Lampedusa, we activate a team of doctors, obstetricians, nurses, and cultural mediators to assist mothers and children. In two-week shifts, our teams embark on the San Marco Ship, a ship of the Italian Navy, to navigate the Mediterranean sea to prevent, help, and rescue refugees.

With your contribution, we will carefully select and organize medical teams, book their flights and coordinate logistics, and set up an insurance program for doctors. In addition, we  will continually communicate with the captain of the ship to coordinate arrivals and departures of teams and their special needs, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Our dedicated medical staff visits with each victim, identifies illnesses and risk factors, and cares for their condition. When not on duty, our teams are writing medical protocols and providing sailors with training on emergency response and rescue techniques.

So far, we have assisted 150 pregnant mothers and infants among the many immigrants and refugees we help. Help us help more.