The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) is a voluntary non-profit organisation in South Africa that saves lives through drowning prevention programmes.
These programmes have hit the streets of Pimville under the leadership of Facilitator, Linda Dalamba.
Since its launch in 2006, the water safety education programme has taught approximately three million people, 90% being children about water safety, bystander CPR and safe rescue techniques.
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In 2023, the programme was introduced in Soweto for Pimville and surrounding communities.
The main aim is to educate children and adults in underprivileged communities about the importance of water safety and drowning prevention.
Despite lacking pools, these communities often visit places with pools or seas, where the risk of drowning increases.
To further elaborate on this, Linda Dalamba, the NSRI Pimville Facilitator said, “The challenge I find is that when I go to schools, it’s very hard to explain sea rescue, they see sea rescue and think to themselves ‘we don’t have a pool, we don’t have a sea.’
“But those very children are the ones who go on holidays and visit their grandparents in rural areas where there are rivers.
“They swim there or even go to the beach and because they don’t know about water-safety they find themselves in trouble.”
The NSRI water safety programme in Pimville includes a free survival swimming class at the Pimville Swimming Pool on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 08:00 to 11:00 which are open to everyone.
Additionally, water safety activations have been conducted in nearly all local schools in Pimville.
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Siyabonga Mthethwa, the NSRI Drowning Prevention Regional Coordinator spoke about the response the community has had towards their drowning prevention efforts in Pimville.
“The whole drowning prevention programme has brought awareness to the community and they have gained skills that they use in their daily lives to limit drowning cases,” said Mthethwa.
The NSRI also offers valuable skills to unemployed residents through various programmes, including lifeguard training, coast watching, survival swimming instruction, pink rescue buoy custodianship and sea rescue crew training.
For more information about the programme and to get assistance with joining, residents can contact Linda Dambala on 082 358 5092 or email lindad@searescue.org.za
