Proactiva Open Arms undertakes a new humanitarian mission to rescue refugees in the Mediterranean
Because of conflict, violence or poverty, thousands of people try to reach Europe by sea, risking their lives. Faced with this situation, Proactiva Open Arms made a promise: not to leave one more life adrift at sea. So we decided to move to the coasts of Lesbos and, later, to extend our mission to the Central Mediterranean, with the aim of saving the lives of those who launch themselves into the sea in the hope of reaching a safe place and to be able to offer them a future, a new opportunity.
Since we arrived there a few months ago, we have already saved 17,000 lives. But it’s not enough. This is why we want to continue fighting for them and to undertake a new mission with a new boat: the Open Arms.
We want to continue in the Central Mediterranean area, to protect human rights in the sea until we are no longer needed. But to do this, we need your help: #HelpOpenArms.
Thanks to your contribution we’ll be able to obtain the necessary resources to set sail and keep the Open Arms, our new search and rescue boat, afloat for as long as possible.
Where exactly will the funds be allocated?
With the initial target of €100,000 we will be able to finance the final stage of commissioning the Open Arms boat and the first 15 days of operation at sea. And what if we raise more money? Each additional €5,435 will be used to finance another day of keeping the Open Arms afloat.
And, if we achieve a level of mobilization never seen before in the history of crowdfunding, we can finance the rescue operations for the following months on board the Open Arms.
You can help us out by spreading the campaign with the assets you’ll find in our Mobilization Kit. Join, share and #HelpOpenArms!
Proactiva Open Arms was born in September 2015, the idea of a lifeguard and sea rescue company with extensive experience on the Spanish coasts. When its founder, Oscar Camps, saw the photo of a drowned child washed ashore spread across the front pages, he realised that the situation couldn’t go on like that. And, if nobody else was going to do anything about it, he would do it.
So that was how, together with a team of three rescuers, he moved to the coasts of Lesbos (Greece) to help all those crossing the sea to escape from conflict -—the refugees-— to reach the shore alive. Thanks to donations, the team was able to grow and extend operations to the Central Mediterranean where, almost daily, hundreds of people flee from the horror in subhuman conditions.
Their mission? Not to rest until no more lives are left adrift.
Find out more at proactivaopenarms.org.