Italians of all walks of life are opening their doors to refugees. And some institutions are offering them swimming lessons – PB/TK
Italy offers swimming lessons for refugees traumatized while crossing Mediterranean – By Michael Birnbaum / July 15 2017
Abdoulie Jallow lives on the Sicilian coast, but until recently, looking at the Mediterranean Sea filled him with dread.
The azure water reminded the 17-year-old Gambian of his journey from Libya last year, a middle-of-the-night departure on an overcrowded dinghy in which he had to abandon himself to his faith in God.
Now Jallow has dipped his toes in the water again, joining classes in a local trade high school that prepares students for a life at sea. His swimming and rescue training aims to calm the trauma of a passage that has claimed the lives of at least 2,300 migrants and refugees this year.
And as Italy staggers under the weight of thousands of arrivals – 7,000 in the second part of this week alone – an increasing number of Italians are taking matters into their own hands. Elderly retirees have thrown open their doors to house migrants. Churches have taken in children. And the Nautical Technical Institute in this gritty coastal city is trying to help emotionally scarred teenagers overcome their fear of the water in a region where most jobs are tied to the sea.
Continue to stripes.com article: https://www.stripes.com/news/europe/italy-offers-swimming-lessons-for-refugees-traumatized-while-crossing-mediterranean-1.478256#.WWt1aIWcHIU
