Since our last update, we reached a few more milestones. Here are some highlights.
First and foremost, an enormous shout-out and most sincere appreciation to our launch captains Avi Ben-Zaken, John Kulewicz, Susan Hammer and Joel Soffin. Thank you for your wonderfully generous support to get us up and running! Thanks to you, we have made great strides in recent months.
- In February we published the first draft SwimTayka Method youth training manual. It is now available in English, Spanish (thank you Carlos Antonio!) and Portuguese (thank you Jaci!).
- In March we concluded our second annual project in Huanchaco, Peru with Otra Cosa Network and a top-notch team of local volunteers to lead the program. (For you history buffs, check out this week’s NatGeo article on a massive recent discovery, less than 2km from our project site.)
- In April we launched a new project in Itacare, Brazil with ETIV do Brasil, who have incorporated our SwimTayka Method training manual directly into their current programs.
- Also in April, we completed our first Oregon USA mini-project with the Human Access Project and SUN schools, providing an after-school workshop on water safety and water stewardship.
- We confirmed a June project in Bimini, the Bahamas with Save the Bays, to be led by our new SwimTayka-USA board member Nathalie Vallieres Martin. Hooray Nathalie and Rasheema!
- In January we engaged the impressive Kat Luckok of Share Impact to guide our communications strategy planning, which we are now implementing, you can see the benefit of this through our social media channels, why not follow and like us on them?
- Dena, our co-founder is currently in Islamabad, Pakistan, where she is visiting as part of the Fulbright Specialist program to participate in a knowledge exchange in transboundary water cooperation.
After much hard work we earned Charity status in England and Wales, and then quickly established SwimTayka-UK and SwimTayka-USA. As a result, we now have two separate boards and registries, with the same common mission and same intense passion for drowning prevention and water stewardship.
- Our team of English Channel Relay swimmers is set, and the planned swimming dates are 3rd to 8th August, and they are now preparing to begin their open water training regimen.
- Would you like to conquer the Everest of the swimming world?Want to swim from England to France and be proud to say “I am a Channel Swimmer?”We have places for the 2019 English Channel Relay team if you are or anyone you know is interested?
We have made great strides and are still full force ahead. To help keep us moving forward, we will take the next year to streamline our operations for sustainability.
We need you!
- Please join us as a volunteer instructor for our programs.
- Or lend a hand with our communications and administration.
- Or chip in! Each project costs between $5,000 – $10,000 to run. Every little bit helps.
We are saving lives, building the next generation of confident swimmers and clean water stewards.
With gratitude to you all and passion for our waters,
