Far-Flung Postcards is a weekly collection during which NPR’s worldwide crew shares moments from their lives and work around the globe.
It was my fifth day on a ship within the Mediterranean Sea with the humanitarian group Medical doctors With out Borders, reporting on their makes an attempt to rescue migrants stranded at sea. We might set off a 12 months in the past from the Italian port of Civitavecchia, and within the 10 days I used to be aboard their ship, the Geo Barents, they saved 258 lives.
These migrants — some entire households, one teenager touring alone, many younger males, a mom together with her three younger kids — had began their journey in Libya, paying smugglers 1000’s of {dollars} for this opportunity to succeed in Europe. A shot in the dead of night.
For the rescuers on the Geo Barents, this work was exhausting, traumatizing — and provoking. They might be at sea for months. One of the best respite was on the boat’s helipad. The spot variously served as a jogging monitor and a spot for yoga and meditation. There could be a number of employees members at anybody day out operating within the afternoons.
One night, the rescuers and I watched as these dolphins swam alongside the ship. Their leaps and video games within the frothy water made our hearts soar. It jogged my memory that even on this typically merciless world, life and sweetness persist.
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