Los Correos de la Mar

... the idea and the story

1° Act  - Preface

07 february 2006

One of the objectives of the Italian association Antarctica
Sailing Project just started out.

The first Courier - Davide Freschi - Andrea Marini

A.S.P’s humanitarian aim begins to come true: to spread, in parallel, independently of in partnership with A.S.P. Antarctica Sailing Project, the principle of solidarity and humanitarian aid to fulfil a common objective.

www.antarctica-project.com

The first step has already been given: on February the 6th. 2006 at 10:00 a.m we constituted the association "Los Correos de La Mar" (Sea Couriers) at Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain.

The work of the Italian association Naso Blu, with Andrea Marini, and with the same social aims as Antarctica Sailing Project, became of fundamental importance in de creation and development of the Correos de la Mar.

The project Los Correos de La Mar is nowadays a legal association with its headquarters at the Italian Consulate of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

Sea Couriers – Humanitarian Aid at full sails

Meetings of sea and life

… hoisting our sails onto solidarity

Actors: Gindungo, Naso Blu, Vela Bianca, Afro-Canarian Association

The scenery: Puerto de la Luz – Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

Gindungo, Antarctica Sailing Project, a dream; Naso Blu, a sailing project around the Globe, another dream.
“But, you are sailing to the Antarctica?”
“And you?”
“I’m going to Senegal!”
“Would you take a few t-shirts with you to give to the children of Senegal?”

It all starts at this point. We realize of the convenience that this port offers for such a project: Las Palmas is the last port of Western Europe, the last stop in the big Ocean routes.

We talk for hours.. the unfavourable weather conditions force us to stay here.. we imagine new projects.

We meet people from Cabo Verde who expand our knowledge on the reality of the need that exists in some countries.
The idea arrives to us: building a base for the collection of aid which must reach directly to those who need it, using the boats as means of transport.

We meet Cristina, a canarian friend; we talk and come to agreements, and she introduces us to Khali, a man from Senegal from an Afro-Canarian association.
It’s done! The aid expedition and the contacts for the distribution are already organized.

Si organizza il lavoro dei Corrieri nelle riunioni serali a bordo

We have to rush to arrive to the meeting with the representatives of the Real Club Nautico, in order to obtain a hall where to organize a press conference.
Meetings with the Italian Consul in Las Palmas who will give us useful contacts; meetings with the representatives of the Canarian Autonomous Government, the Marina Authorities, the charity associations Caritas, Red Cross, …

Meanwhile both Khali and his collaborators collect the clothes and the shoes for the children, rice and anything that can be transported in this first expedition.

The sailing ship Gindungo, with his hull painted in black and orange, calls the attention of the bypassers. There is a little party during the evening with the people who come to visit us. We cook Italian pasta which is successful among the visitors.

We passed the test!

Many new contacts, young people, universitarian students who collect clothes, rice and toys for the children, and who provide us with contacts at the University of Las Palmas.

We talk to the neighbours at the mooring, the people of the Sea give their approval: soon there will be other expeditions.

Interventi alla conferenza stampa: il Console Carlos di Blasio

Davide Freschi ed Andrea Marini

Goals for the future: to export human and medical resources, infirmary personnel, artisans, researchers, volunteers with any knowledge…

Impossible? Absolutely not! In only one week we have reached one first goal:

1.Riccardo, on board of the sailing boat Almudena, set sails yesterday to Central America, carrying humanitarian aid packages that he will deliver in Panama;
2.Andrea, a solitaire on board of Naso Blu, will leave in a few hours for Gambia with his 40 foot sailing boat loaded with humanitarian aid;
3.Davide, the skipper of Gindungo, a cutter which is part of a scientific and cultural project expedition to Antarctica, will leave with Luigi as a crew and a cargo of boxes for Mindelo, in the Island of Sao Vicente in Cabo Verde, as soon as he finishes setting up the project association in the base port of Las Palmas;
4.Doreen and Matthias, a German couple on board of Vela Bianca, will leave too carrying aid for Gambia as soon as they finish some minor repairs on their boat;
5.Rosy and Peter, a Swiss couple on board of Green Coral, will leave soon to, to the Caribbean;
6.Tim, a Dane, is also among the volunteer for this first expedition with his small 26 foot boat, Freya. However he will stay in the Marina of Las Palmas during one year, during which he will help to finish shaping the project.

Sails, Internet and Satellite Communications, a combination of technology of means of transport with a high impact and at minimum costs to help the people who are less fortunate than us.
The glue that joins it all: the strength of he who travels with the desire of discovering, of learning and of helping.

I will describe in a few words a few events which will awake your curiousity: the boats Gindungo, Naso Blu, Green Coral, Vela Bianca and Freja will leave soon with cargos of humanitarian aid, and will meet in Cabo Verde and in Senegal with the local contacts of the associations which will receive the packages with humanitarian aid.
The boat Almudena was the first to leave a few days ago with a cargo for Panama.
These contact representatives will compile a list of names and of needed items. The next day the distribution will take place and arrive directly into the hands of the chidren and the families in need for aid.

“Will makes all dreams possible”

Here starts a path to realize a dream.

It is enough with a meeting of people with the will to join forces, the will to make things happen and with the eyes wide opened in the routes that are being pursued.

We will see now how: we will have a point for collection, storage and distribution of donations of humanitarian aid at Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Canary Islands); Magali, a Spanish volunteer resident in Las Palmas, will coordinate the arrivals and departures of the boats, as well as manage the storage of the packages with humanitarian aid and the distribution to the volunteers;
there will be a website where all information will be available to the public;
there will be an international database with the details and the activities of the “Sea Couriers”;
 

Other goals for this project:

1) to create a network of people who can collect information during their navigation about the needs of humanitarian aid and of channels of redistribution in different regions of the world, and who can volunteer as couriers for the transport and distribution of aid

2) to spread the voice among all sailing people who would like to help in humanitarian aid projects, but don’t know how to do it or don’t have enough time to do it; now they have the chance to access a network that will allow them to make real their own intentions

3) to set up new operating centres in other parts of the world, which can be potentially functional (e.g. Las Palmas for sailing boats)

PRESS RELEASE

The roman association Antarctica Sailing Project a project which is already fully working is about to reach its first important goal: latter events derived from the realisation of this first goal are already being prepared.

Something extraordinary is happening

The sailing boat Gindungo is currently moored at the Marina of Puerto de la Luz, in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

 Il Presidente del Real Club Nautico di Gran Canaria

consegna i guidoni del Club ai Corrieri in partenza

The unfavourable weather conditions are forcing her to stay longer than expected, and this has led to a succesion of events: meetings between members of different human aid organisations have been organized; the meeting between the Italian associations Antarctica and Naso Blu: a parallel project to that of Antarctica Sailing Project is born. We have organized an operation center for the collection and distribution of humanitarian aid at Las Palmas Port.

Other associations of the island have started to collaborate with us.
The local authorities gave their approval to the project.
The Italian Consulate, represented by the Consul Mr. Carlos di Blasio offered his enthusiastic support to our initiatives and has collaborated actively by introducing us to contacts and accompanying us personally to the local offices of Caritas. We have enroled volunteers : universitarian students, sailors of different nationalities, and workers.

We are already six sailing boats, we are already six couriers : Gindungo from Antarctica Sailing Project, Naso Blu from the Naso Blu Association, Vela Bianca of Doreen and Matthias, a German couple who are sailing the world, Almudena of Riccardo, another Italian skipper, and Green Coral of Peter and Rosy, from Switzerland; six ecological transports ready to take humanitarian aid to Senegal, Gambia and Cabo Verde.

The first boxes with clothes, shoes, and rice have been taken aboard the boats ready to be delivered directly into the hand of those who need them most. Tim onboard the danish sailingboat Freja stays behind in Las Palmas and continues the work.

The first expedition is about to leave.. the first act of this beautiful story has just been written.

We are designing the first web page of the SEA COURIERS, and it will be available on the Internet soon.
This new energy flood will take the humanitarian aid at full sail speed, with a minimal cost, in a show of the will to help which is taking form in the simplest possible way.

Il Gindungo nel marina di Las Palmas - Corrieri in partenza

Sen. Carvallo  -  La gente risponde agli appelli di collaborazione

Our first goals are:

- to take the message to all those who would like to help, but don’t know how to do it;
- to create a worldwide information network, in the spots where there are people in need of humanitarian aid;
- to create a database of volunteer boats of the SEA COURIERS who sail along the routes of the World seas transporting help, be it in the form of first need goods, or of volunteers willing to work in place;
- to create a database of volunteers for the future collection and distribution of the aid;
- to collect adhesions of volunteers who have the possibility to operate in the places where there is a need of specialised labour in the sector of teaching, artisans, medical doctors, etc.

On Tuesday 31st of January 2006 there was a press conference at the premises of the Real Club Nautico of Las Palmas, where the project was presented to the media.

This press release has been sent to all mail nautic organisations of the world and to the nautical media press of the countries with a high representation of sailing boats passing through Las Palmas: Spain, Italy, France, Germany, England, Denmark, Sweden, Poland and Czek Republic.

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