Ten years ago, when confronted by the deafening silence surrounding the slaughter of ten’s of thousands in the Mediterranean Sea, my family and I started questioning what we could do by harnessing our own individual strengths, resources and abilities to prevent other people and families from losing their lives in such a pointless and preventable fashion. From these questions and subsequent reflections, MOAS was born.
Step by step, in the past nine years, MOAS has become so much more. A big family composed not only of its founders, but of all those people who throughout the years have contributed to its growth and maturity, from its generous donors, supportive volunteers and ultimately, the team itself.
Together as MOAS, we have accomplished much more than we ever could individually. Starting from the Search and Rescue Initiatives carried out in the Central Mediterranean and Aegean Sea expanding the mission to the Andaman Sea, and eventually through the provision of support to Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh in dire need of emergency and medical care.
We have unwaveringly persevered in supporting the most vulnerable through the distribution of tools and expertise to reduce the number of tragedies caused by natural disasters, such as flooding and fires in refugee camps, which have witnessed a surge in recent years. We have together delivered life-saving medical supplies and therapeutic food to Yemen and Somalia saving thousands of children from acute malnutrition. In Ukraine we have been providing first aid and paramedical care to those injured in the areas affected by the conflict. Finally in Malta, we have assisted migrants and refugees through various projects, from educational initiatives to integration and hospital care.
This has been our journey so far, but our destination is still far from view. In response to the suffering of millions of people already affected by drought, extreme weather events and famine coupled with the consequences of a war that in recent months is making access to food and medical care extremely difficult in Sudan.
MOAS is promoting a new mission to send essential medical supplies and therapeutic food to those most in need within the region. Our mission remains the same; to continue saving lives and to keep hope alive in the hearts of the most vulnerable.
I am glad to have shared these years with all of you, to have successfully handled enormous challenges and emergencies together with our team, to have helped those that were risking their very lives for a better future and giving them an opportunity to persist in the achievement of their dreams. All this would not have been possible if we had not come together believing in a shared common goal and powered by the will to do some good even if at times in the face of overwhelming odds. Bound by the belief that unity is strength, and that only through working together can we create something that significantly impacts not only the lives of the people we help but our society as well.
Thank you to all!
