Children in remote areas learn to swim with portable pool

A portable swimming pool to teach children about water safety and how to swim for free has been brought to various villages in Cu Mgar District, Dak Lak Province.

Warm-up exercise

Dinh Thi Yen, a resident from Hiep Hoa Village, carried her daughter to the swimming class that opened near her house before going to work.

"We all have to work so the children stay with their grandparents. I already told them to avoid dangerous places, but they're just children so I still feel worried, especially when there is a lot of news about children drowning and my neighbourhood has lots of lakes and ditches," she said. "Those classes are useful and the children know each other."

The classes are held by the Youth Union of Quang Hiep Commune and Vi Dan Em Than Yeu Club under the Cu Mgar District's Youth Federation. About 90 children age seven to 15 are joining the training course. For two weeks, the children will be taught basic swimming skills, water safety and what to do when someone is drowning.

Children learn to swim with portable pool

Mai Van Chuyen, head of Vi Dan Em Than Yeu Club, said they were able to raise VND50m from the private sector to buy equipment and asked local PE teachers to volunteer to teach the course. The portable swimming pool is 5.1 metres wide, 15.6 metres long and 1.2 metres deep. The water is from the wells of local households. The course has received good responses from the local people and authorities.

"In previous years, we held the swimming courses at Ngo May Secondary School but we couldn't reach enough of the children in remote areas. A portable pool is much better," Chuyen said.

Vo Thi My Trinh, deputy secretary of Cu Mgar District Youth Union, said this was a part of a summer volunteer movement in Cu Mgar District.

"The portable pool is being piloted in Quang Hiep Commune and will be expanded to Ea Mdroh and Cu Mgar communes. We'll work with district authorities to call for more funding to expand the movement further," she said.

Statistics from Dak Lak Province Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs show that there have been 31 drownings, killing 39 children in the province so far this year, double the numbers of 2020.

"In the near future, Dak Lak Youth Union will invite experts to train our leaders and propose swimming as an extra-curricula activity in primary and secondary schools," said Tran Doan Toi, deputy secretary of Dak Lak Youth Union.