The Mission to Seafarers

I mean, it sounds like a broad set of themes, but in fact, it all ties together to how do we improve mental health? And how do we maximize the ability for seafarers to be psychologically well-suited for their environment?

Interestingly, I was chatting to Ben Bailey from Mission to Seafarers, and he mentioned that he was compiling a video for the conference directly with seafarers that was talking about their own experiences at sea as well.

So that's an exciting element to be shared as well, I think.

Yeah, he's supporting Penny Blackburn in her session.

So far on this trip, I've sailed to Big Island with a local Wadi Wadi elder, I followed a harbour pilot as they brought a ship into berth, I found out who manages all the ship traffic in this international port.

I've talked to sailors, the mission to seafarers, the first female surf lifesavers in Australia who come from Port Kembla.

That story is still to come.

Many stories or snapshots of life and work in Port Kembla within the one postcard.

The media was full of the COVID thing and now the passengers got onto the taxi, onto the bus, onto... family vehicles and onto aeroplanes.

So they were tracing all the passengers, but there was hardly anything said or mentioned about the crew, the welfare of the staff and crew on the Ruby Princess.

John Kiwa is the Senior Chaplain for the Anglican Charity Mission to Seafarers in Port Kembla.

My name is John Kewa.

What practically can do with a shore leave is that you step out of the ship, where you're always with twenty-odd people that you see day in, day out, Mondays to Sundays, and you get a chance to go out, refresh yourself, and you come back with absolutely a boosted morale.

So the Seafarers' Happiness Index, which is run by Mission to Seafarers, another charity, has, uh, put out that the happiness index, the ratings have gone lower in the first two quarters of this year.

Especially in the Middle East, it has got the least score.

Thank you for that, Dhananjay.