WATER SAFETY VIETNAM IS BACK IN VUNG TAU
Local Interest
WATER SAFETY VIETNAM IS BACK IN VUNG TAU
Water Safety Vietnam is a non- government Australian charity dedicated to reducing the horrific rate of child drownings in Vietnam. Up to 35 children drown every day. Jan Williams has been appointed coordinator for the Vung Tau area and she has arrived to continue for the fourth consecutive year. Jan from Melbourne, is a retired Primary School Physical Education teacher who trains swimming teachers for AUSTSWIM
Vung Tau Life Guards; and Mr Phuong Nguyen, International translator. They organised a group of 40 Vietnamese men and women to attend a program of training swimming teachers to the International AUSTSWIM Certificate. The program was run at the Dolphin pool on the back beach. In 2015 the Department Of Education and Training worked with Water Safety Vietnam. The outcome was a program for 30 Primary School Physical Education teachers. This year those teachers will run a 10 day swimming program( 5 hours each day) for Grade 3 children. Water Safety Vietnam will support the Vietnamese teachers in the water to ensure the utmost safety of the children. For the future however, the aim is a totally sustainable program run by local people without any Australian involvement. Since 2011 Water Safety Vietnam is very proud of the following achievements:
• Taught 2000 kids the basics of water safety and swimming
• Sent 60 volunteer swimming teachers to Vietnam
• Trained 500 Vietnamese adults in the teaching of water safety and swimming
• Trained 477 adults in Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation( CPR).
• Jan with a student at St Joseph’ s Charity School in Bien Hoa.
• Have run programs in 6 provinces
International. Soon after retiring in 2011, Water Safety Vietnam invited Jan to join their team. Six weeks later she was in Vietnam to attend the International Conference For Drowning Prevention held in Da Nang. Jan was joined at the conference by Program Manager Ms Pam O’ Reilly. Before the end of the Conference a request was received to train staff at the Sanctuary resort in Ho Tram. The expected 10 staff members turned out to be 35( all on their day off). They were thrilled to learn that we do NOT have to enter the water to rescue. Jan called for help in the water while Pam reached with every available piece of furniture, towels, motor bike poncho, jeans and palm fronds. Finally, much to their surprise she threw in a rubbish bin which Jan was able to use as a flotation aid. Programs in Vung Tau began with the co-operation of the People’ s Committee: Mr Tran VanTruong, Head of
• Have 12 programs in operation in 2016
• Two new programs introduced in 2016: Vinh Long( Mekong) and Phan Thiet
The MAG Vung Tau 25