NSRI saving lives, one learner at a time
Most learners and educators have never been exposed to swimming lessons or water safety.
Duduzile Secondary School in Oshabeni recently received a Survival Swimming Centre from the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI).
The benefits of learning how to swim are endless and extend beyond the pool environment. This important lifesaving skill creates a sense of self-security, especially for children.
This is according to Andrew Ingram, NSRI’s Drowning Prevention Manager who is excited that the NSRI Survival Swimming Instructors started teaching the first children, and educators, the basic principles of surviving a sudden immersion in water.
“These lessons are how to control your breathing, how to orientate yourself in the water, how to float, and how to move at least five metres in the water,” states Ingram.
Principal, Smangele Msomi-Madlala is thrilled that the third NSRI Survival Swimming Centre has been placed at her school to serve the community.
The school serves Oshabeni, a poor community about 30 minutes inland of Port Shepstone.
“Some of our learners use bridges that have rivers that tend to overflow when it rains and having these skills of knowing how to get to safety when in difficulty in water, is truly incredible,” she adds.
“It was fantastic teamwork that allowed us to build the Survival Swimming Centre in record time and deliver it to a school in a low resource setting, which under difficult conditions educates 948 learners.
“Were it not for the support that we got from local businessmen, getting it off the delivery truck would have been impossible, much less filling it with water and all the other challenges that come with a project of this nature,” added Ingram.
“All the hard work was quickly forgotten when the first children got into the water, which was a toasty 30 degrees, and started their first lesson. We were also thrilled that two educators were among the first in the pool, leading the way to bring swimming as a life skill to the Oshabeni community,” said Andrew.
Msomi-Madlala states that most learners and educators have never been exposed to swimming lessons or water safety.
“This not only benefits the school but the community as a whole and our children when they’re on holiday by the ocean, they will be able to apply these skills,” she added.
This resonates with the NSRI’s purpose which is saving lives, changing lives, and creating futures.
“We hope to create a swimming culture among the children and educators who have started this journey. The skills the educators will gain will allow them to teach upcoming learners how to survive in water,” concluded Ingram.
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