NSRI Water Safety Programmes

In 2006, a Learn-to-Swim teacher named Eoudia Erasmus walked into classrooms around Ceres with a simple but powerful mission: to teach children how to be safe around water. She had seen too many young lives at risk in communities where rivers, dams, and farm reservoirs became playgrounds for unsupervised children. That year, she reached 6 500 children with lessons in water safety.

Eoudia remembers those early days vividly. “The children, especially those from farm schools, showed great excitement and interest. They participated with enthusiasm, and teachers were so grateful for the lessons. These early experiences definitely confirmed the importance of continuing and growing the programme.”

But growth did not come easily. Funding and transport were constant challenges, particularly in rural areas where drowning risks were highest. What kept the programme alive was passion – hers, her fellow instructors’, and that of leaders like Andrew Ingram, who guided the team with unwavering belief in its potential.

Step by step, the programme expanded. Training new instructors, often from within the communities themselves, proved to be a turning point. These local instructors could speak the children’s home languages and build trust quickly. Partnerships with schools, municipalities, and community leaders helped anchor the programme across the country.

By 2024, the Water Safety Programme had grown beyond what anyone could have imagined in those first lessons in Ceres. Over 877 000 children were reached in a single year, each learning not just how to be safe but also how to respond in emergencies, hands-on CPR, and even take part in free Survival Swimming lessons.

For Eoudia, the numbers tell only part of the story. “The greatest joy for me is knowing that disadvantaged children, who are often the most at risk, now have the chance to learn to be safe in and around water. Together, we are not only teaching lessons, we are saving lives.”

The next generation of leadership now carries forward that sense of purpose. In 2025, the programme officially became part of the NSRI’s new Community Programmes department, headed by the newly appointed Mthe Kweyama. For him, the role is the culmination of a lifelong journey that began as a swimmer, then progressed to junior lifeguard, and ultimately became a lifeguard coordinator.

Mthe’s vision builds on the foundation Eoudia and her colleagues laid. He plans to expand the reach of Community Programmes through a stipend initiative and new volunteer system, ensuring that more instructors can reach more communities.

He wants survival swimming to become a life skill, not just a message. “Communities shouldn’t only hear about water safety,” he says. “They should actively learn it.”

He also sees the programme as a pathway, inspiring young people to become lifeguards, opening doors to careers in the water economy, and forging stronger partnerships with schools and local leaders.

Almost two decades after Eoudia taught her first class, the mission remains: protect children, prevent drownings, and save lives. What has changed is the scale and the vision. With Mthe leading the way, the NSRI’s Community Programmes stand ready to reach even further, carrying the baton into the future, one child, one community, one life at a time.

When 18-year-old Zinitha Manavele first arrived at the Long Street swimming pool in October 2024, she could barely swim and was scared of water. Less than six months later, she’s a certified volunteer survival swimming instructor inspiring young learners – and the entire NSRI team.

“The Sea Point pool was closed at the time,” says Maxine Jackson, Sea Point Survival Swimming team leader, “so we got a whole lot of new volunteers to come for training at Long Street swimming pool, and Zinitha was one of them.”

One of the first practical tests anyone must do to become an instructor is to swim the length of the pool they'll be working in, and unfortunately, Zinitha couldn’t.

Maxine admits to being initially concerned. But Zinitha’s dedication never wavered. “She was so keen and determined and just kept turning up, week after week.”

Recognising her determination, the team rallied behind her. “Between Alison, myself, and Hazel, we decided that because she's so enthusiastic, we would help her become a role model for others.”

Alison Cope, one of the founding members behind the Survival Swimming programme, took Zinitha under her wing, offering private lessons at her home. With encouragement from the whole team, Zinitha made rapid progress. Her commitment never wavered, no matter how far she had to travel to the pool.

“And by the end of the season,” says Maxine, “it was an honour to hand over her kit and watch her engaging and encouraging young children in the water.”

Zinitha’s journey has been a source of pride for the Sea Point team. “Alison sent me a video of her swimming the length of her pool, and I was just like, ‘Wow!’” Maxine says. “Zinitha is a true inspiration, and her commitment speaks volumes - you can't really put it into words, those special moments as part of the NSRI team.”

Reflecting on her initial fear of the water, Zinitha says: “My first time at the Long Street pool, I was scared of water and didn't even know how to swim. But to see others doing it, I tried. I pushed myself to defeat the fear.”

She adds that the Sea Point team — Maxine, Tracy, Stacy, and especially Alison — greatly helped her. Zinitha recalls working with Alison: “She’s patient, and she encouraged me to believe that I could do it. I did it, and now I enjoy being in water. I have no fear at all.”

Today, Zinitha is sharing what she’s learned with others. “I enjoy teaching to encourage others that you can beat the fear and do whatever you want to do. Nothing can stop you.”

And she’s only getting started.

“She asked me at our year-end gathering, ‘How do you get to work on the boats and do the big rescues and things like that?’” says Maxine. “For her, it's not going to stop at just Survival Swimming. I think she will do big things for us and the NSRI.”