Global Reach: Our Impact on Drowning Prevention

SwimTayka’s impact is defined by clear, life-saving results: to date, we have reached over 13,700 children across four continents.

SwimTayka’s impact is defined by clear, life-saving results: to date, we have reached over 13,700 children across four continents.

By focusing on the world’s most vulnerable regions, where children live alongside water and are at risk of drowning, we have worked alongside local partners in eight countries, including Peru, Brazil, Indonesia, Jamaica and Mozambique. We have a new project starting in Vietnam and we are launching into the UK.

Our commitment to sustainability is reflected in our ‘train the trainer’ model, which has already seen 21 local instructors in Vietnam alone gain internationally recognised qualifications, ensuring that life-saving knowledge remains a permanent community asset.

Our efforts are fuelled by a global network of dedicated volunteers, a community of fundraisers, and committed corporate sponsors, who together have raised thousands to help turn the tide against the silent epidemic of drowning.

Water Safety in Peru

In the coastal town of Huanchaco, children grow up alongside the Pacific Ocean but often lack the vital skills to survive in it. For local people, formal swimming lessons are an unaffordable luxury.

Here, we partner with a local NGO to run an intensive annual programme that blends survival swimming with environmental education.

We move beyond the basics of a swimming pool, teaching over children how to safely navigate ocean currents and waves.

By training local surf instructors to international standards, we ensure the programme remains sustainable, leaving behind a community empowered to protect its own children long after our volunteers have returned home.

Water Safety in Vietnam

In Vietnam, many children grow up without basic swimming skills due to a lack of affordable facilities and a cultural distrust of water.

Here, we collaborate with a local NGO to deliver a comprehensive drowning prevention curriculum. This programme provides free, high-quality swimming lessons and water safety education to primary school students, focusing on essential survival skills.

The impact in Vietnam is designed to last; we have already trained 21 local instructors to international standards to ensure the programme is entirely self-sustaining.

Water Safety in Brazil

In the coastal town of Itacaré, Brazil, children often lack access to basic water safety. While the region is famous for its world-class surfing beaches, the Atlantic currents pose a lethal threat to nonswimmers.

Here, we partner with a local NGO to provide a structured swimming and environmental education programme. We offer free lessons that move children from the safety of the pool to the open sea, ensuring they gain the skills and confidence needed to stay safe.

The programme’s success is rooted in its focus on the future; by involving local youth and providing them with training opportunities, we are creating a pathway into employment. Alongside swimming, children engage in environmental workshops that teach them to protect the rich biodiversity of the Bahia coastline.

Our Annual Report

Take a look at our latest Annual Report, which showcases the measurable impact of our global drowning prevention work over the last year.

We want to thank all our volunteers, fundraisers, English Channel relay swimmers, donors and corporate sponsors who have all contributed to making our work possible.

Together we are turning the tide on drowning.

Why not get in touch to see how you can help?

Responsible finances

Independent audits, strict financial controls and quarterly budget reviews by our Board of Trustees help direct the maximum possible share of our income to grassroots drowning prevention projects.

Safeguarding first

Our comprehensive Safeguarding Children Policy is reviewed annually and applies to every member of staff, volunteer and international partner working with the communities we serve.

Recognised standards

We align our work with World Health Organization drowning prevention interventions and keep our Charity Commission reporting current, supporting safe, ethical and professional delivery.

Clarity builds confidence. Our governance is designed to protect children, strengthen communities and honour every contribution.

Read our safeguarding approach View our annual report