In Australia, propensity to drown is still a major focus, especially in the context of migrant and refugee communities. Latest figures show that almost a quarter of all drowning fatalities are people who were born outside Australia. Safety charity Royal Life Saving New South Wales has started initiatives aimed at raising swimming proficiency levels and increasing water confidence. These initiatives very deliberately encourage women from these communities to take part.
Ying Fan, the cultural engagement coordinator for Royal Life Saving New South Wales, highlights the importance of targeting specific community groups. Based on the secondary research, we have four home countries that most frequently have the highest drowning death rate in Australia, a race that consistently includes India, China, Nepal, and the UK. So, we really are aiming at those community organizations,” she added. As of last summer, one in three drowning deaths happened at a beach, and nearly a third occurred in rivers. Even more alarmingly, deaths in swimming pools for those same age groups had doubled from the prior summer.
Royal Life Saving has partnered with Uniting Circle, a local service provider in Sydney’s West, to establish an expanded 10-week swimming program. This program is uniquely suited to new arrivals and refugee women, including Afghan newcomers. The demand for access to swimming programs has skyrocketed. Men in the community are taking notice. Water safety is a topic many men in the community have been more conscious about since last summer’s painful drowning statistics. Mujgan Tahery, a community leader from Herat, sees a significant increase in demand on the part of men.
“Language was the biggest barrier that we had – I was literally running from one spot to another translating for them,” Tahery explained. “Toward the end, language wasn’t a barrier at all because they could understand by body language.” This adaptation of the program is indicative of the great success the program has had in developing not just swimming skills, but a sense of community.
Jamie Estephan, a swim instructor in the program, enjoys watching participants become more comfortable and confident in the water. Each lesson, she sees them expanding and changing. “It does make me quite emotional to see the growth,” Estephan noted. I think the way that we understand and we interact with our water is big — it’s the key. So seeing them go from, I can’t even put my face into the water to now I can go to my friend’s barbecue and hop in their pool and swim confidently and safely. Moreover, they’re just as importantly leading by example for their children. Mummy can do it. You can do it too.
Royal Life Saving and Uniting Circle have joined forces to boost swimming ability. They want to instill critical knowledge about water safety. As more migrant and refugee women gain confidence in their swimming skills, they equip themselves with vital tools for navigating Australia’s waterways safely.
