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
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