Teach 300 children in Nicaragua to be water safe

Nicaragua

Salinas Grandes, Nicaragua - 

PILOT: Jan 2022 to Sept 2022 (8 months) 

• Taught 2 young adults to swim and become swimming teachers 
• Employed a program director for an entire school year
• Introduced Baby Swim, resulting in adult male participation, people outside the village hearing about it and wanting to join
• Partnering with the Nicaraguan Red Cross and the municipality to certify teachers in first aid and cpr.  We will also be inviting some people from the community so that there are more individuals certified in the village. Total of 25 will be certified
• Ran x 2 programs over 3 months (2x weekly) as a trial to swimming lessons over longer period of time.
• Launched two week swim intensives and saw 100% of students learn to swim in order to save their own life.
• One more intensive swim camp to happen in Dec
• Nov will begin training 2 more adults as teachers to have a total of 4 teachers
• Partnered with Ming Yu Wang to design and manufacture swim outfits for children in the village. Which gave children who did not have swim suits the ability to participate with the correct attire in the pool. In turn helped keep the pool clean and lower use of chemicals 
• Provided flutter boards, goggles and other basic equipment for the program director to use in the pool
• Developed Spanish content for teacher training, water safety and swimming levels

We began our school year in the beginning of Febraury, and have successfully taught 25 children to swim. 

Some of the greatest growth we have seen is that of our teachers.  

While we haven't been able to raise funds, we have solved the apparel issue.  Ming Yu Wang has graciously designed and manufactured modest uniforms for the children.  We hope to have the pices to the village by June but still await their clearance through customs. 

We have identified the need for basic first aid knowledge and are partnering with someone who can help us translate.  

Because supplies are limitied if at all, we will need to be creative with what is naturally found in the envirnoment. 

We have seen great interest in our "camp" over the two weeks the children are off from school. We are introducing Baby Swim during the break and are excited to report back how that went next time.  

Links:

• Our teacher Claudia's story