Learning to swim in the Mekong Delta
Svay Katana on the Mekong river. Photo: Timothy Herbert/OxfamAUS
When you live in one of the world's most flood-prone countries, learning how to swim isn't a sport, it's a life skill.
The piercing whistles and the trainer’s loud voice stir up the usually quiet and peaceful morning. Lined up in rows, 20 children aged seven to 12 are mimicking the trainer's movements. Their tiny arms stretch up and down, synchronised to the same rhythm.
They're learning how to swim and it's great fun. For us, it’s serious work. Vietnam is one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world; about 70% of its population is at risk of typhoons and torrential storms followed by flooding.
Areas around the Mekong Delta flood virtually every year and are a constant way of life. But when flood waters are particularly high and people aren't prepared, the consequences can be devastating.
We're working with 24 communes of two provinces of Tien Giang and Dong Thap in the south of Vietnam to ensure people are prepared for possible disaster. As drowning has been the main cause of flood-related deaths, we've made swimming training a priority. Over 2,600 women and children have taken part and achieved a 85%–95% pass rate.
Many parents have tried and failed to teach their kids swimming and can't persevere because they're too busy earning a living. “I tried to teach my son swimming a few times when I was free but he was afraid of the water so he still could not swim,” says Tu about Phan, his eight-year-old son. “Now, there is this swimming class, he joins in with friends so he tries harder... He loves it so much. He is always the last one to come out of the water.”
Seeing that her older sister could swim after taking the project’s swimming training, nine-year-old Vo Thi Bich Tien also wanted to learn. First she tried with her sister and dad but it was much easier to learn with the qualified trainers. The trainers used floaters to help train Tien and other children. Two orange fishnet-tub floaters attached together are tied around the children’s waists with a long black rubber belt. It works well for the early stage of the training. When the children are more confident, the trainers let them swim without the floaters.
After seven days of training, all of the children know how to swim. “If I fall into the water now I won’t die,” says eight-year-old Tho. Mission accomplished.
Authors: Pham Thi Thuy An, Tien Giang Project Officer, and Nguyen Thi Hoang Yen, Communications Officer, Oxfam Great Britain
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