Swimming for Safety in low resource settings
In the UK, children tend to learn to swim in swimming pools. The benefits of this are obvious – they are clean, warm and controlled environments. In low resource rural environments, access to swimming pools isn’t usually readily available. However, we know the risk of drowning in low resource settings is higher than in higher income countries. To combat this, Hue Help’s Swimming for Safety initiative teaches children to swim in open water environments.
Implementing sustainable solutions is a key aim of all of our initiatives. Swimming for Safety is no different – so we have to makes sure that we provide our school teachers with equipment and resources that are appropriate to the local environment but also fit for purpose. Our swimming sites use a system of basic nets, buoys and anchors to mark out safe zones for children to swim in. All of these items can be obtained locally at very low cost, which will help to ensure that schools can continue to teach their children to swim without relying on external support in the future!
To date, Swimming for Safety has trained over 7,800 children in water safety awareness, basic swimming skills and land based rescue skills across 3 provinces in Vietnam.
