Super helpful Elia, he supports the swimming lessons every morning! He gets in the pool with the trainer Daniel, no matter if there is rain or sun and helps to encourage each one of the children so that they can learn to swim! With a smile on his face and kindness, he influences the children positively!

I grew up by the water and learned to swim as a young child. As soon as I was old enough to become certified, I became a Lifeguard and Swimming Instructor so that I could pass on my love of the water to as many people as possible. I have always believed that everyone should know how to swim and that death by drowning is preventable! I began a career in aquatics and remain active in it today.

How in the world, in a country comprised of over 700 islands, can fewer than 20 percent of the children know how to swim? It’s not as though I’m talking inhospitable, cold waters but rather the warm, amazingly clear and blue waters of the Bahamas.

Always sad to see our program come to an end but we are so proud of the team that came together in Bimini to deliver another phenomenal swim and water stewardship camp. Special guest showed up today to meet our little swimmers #BobbyKennedyJr

The UK space agency allows their staff volunteering time for charities and Jody Fry prepared and published this article on the internal news about SwimTayka.

Thank YOU for everything you’ve done this year to help SwimTayka grow. Together we are building the next generation of confident swimmers and clean water stewards. Thanks to you (and especially to Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation) last year we hit some benchmarks.

From October 30 to November 2, 30 teachers from primary and secondary schools in the Quang Dien district of Thua Thien Hue province and 10 trainees from the District Women’s Union participated in a train-the-trainers workshop on drowning prevention and water stewardship.

Did you know we are putting together a number of teams to swim the English Channel as a relay for SwimTayka?

See what other Channel Relay swimmers have to say about it!

Crossing by night. the moon underlines the dark breathing and swelling masses. We swam with luminescent sparkles. A night was magnifying perceptions while at the same time losing the sense of space and time.

For anyone who lives in a country like the UK or US, becoming a swimming teacher is pretty straightforward. If you have the time and a relatively small amount of money you can find a whole number of courses to become qualified. In places such as Zanzibar however it’s a completely different scenario. It is hard enough to learn how to swim there, let alone be in a position to teach.

SwimTayka partnered with ETIV do Brasil this year to offer free swimming lessons and environmental conservation classes to children and youth living in Itacaré, Bahia, Brazil. This was such an incredible experience for the children here, primarily because ETIV is located in one of the poorest neighbourhoods in Itacaré and most of the children here have never had the opportunity to take swimming lessons, and some of the children were even afraid of the water when the programme first started!