Mario Aiello, left, a diving instructor, Richard Amegah, an immigrant from Ghana, Boubacar Barry, an immigrant from Senegal, and Giuseppe Pinci, coordinator of the project “Friendly Sea,” participate in a diving lesson organized by the Nautical School Caio Duilio, in Messina, Italy on July 14. (Valentino Bellini/For The Washington Post)By Michael Birnbaum July 15 at 7:12 PM MESSINA, Italy —

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. Read more…

Source: Italy offers swimming lessons for refugees traumatized while crossing the Mediterranean – The Washington Post