“We are the Champions” – Swim Vietnam children coming out top at Quang Nam swim competition.

Jo Stewart from Swim Vietnam has just sent out a September 2013 newsletter.

An abridged version of the newsletter is reproduced below.

Swim Vietnam Achievements in 2013

• Swim Vietnam continues to go from strength to strength. We now operate 5 swim schools, with requests from 2 more local governments to start programs in their districts as soon as possible.
• 1,891 more children successfully taught to swim so far this year. Have taught over 5,500 since program inception.
• Portable pool installed and new swim program started in Dai Loc District District (a poor rural area outside Hoi An).
• 2 experienced Swim Vietnam teachers qualified as AUSTSWIM teacher trainers, giving us the capability of training all our new teachers to international standards.
• Swimming successes – 97% of children completing the course could swim at least 10m / 92% could swim at least 20m.
• Swim Vietnam children won all the prizes at recent provincial championships (see photo above) – not too surprising but wonderful none the less.

Our Teachers

We have promoted five of our senior teachers to pool supervisors to build a more rigorous management structure. Supervisors are Sanh at Luong The Vinh pool, Chien at Nguyen Du (Paul Sadler Swimland) pool, Le at Nam Phuoc pool, Lai at Duy Chau pool and Hung at Le Thi Xuyen pool.

We have trained 60 new teachers to the AUSTSWIM standard this year. We have also implemented a Swim Vietnam training program for all new teachers to undertake before working with us.

Vinh and Trung have received their certificates and are the first Vietnamese AUSTSWIM trainers and presenters. Congratulations guys! We are very proud of you.

Our Volunteers

…We are now looking for volunteers with a variety of skills – particularly marketing, media, sponsorship and grants and administration for next year (as well as qualified swim teachers of course).

Our Swimming Pools

Hoi An – Our flagship pool at Nguyen Du and Luong The Vinh – This season we are aiming to provide swim lessons for over 1000 children.  As well as being one of our venues for childrens swimming lessons, our flagship facility at Ngyuen Du has been widely used and recognised as being the prime location in the province for swimming and teacher training.

Duy Xuyen District – Nam Phouc and Duy Chau – The portable pools at these locations have been working well and we will continue lessons here next year.  Approx 700 children have been taught this season at these locations.

Dai Loc: – Le Thi Xuyen school – Since the portable pool opened at the beginning of the July over 300 children have received swimming lessons.  We are training up a team of 15 new teachers lead by our experienced teachers to ensure each child has the opportunity to improve with every lesson.

Our Supporters
Paul Sadler Swimland managers Mark Cecil and Marcus Johnson visited us in August and provided invaluable advice and training on program structure, survival skills and class formations.

We would also like thank Water Skills For life, the Vietnam Swans, Capital Group Companies, AUSTSWIM, Mission Travel, Round Table Hong Kong, AusCham, American School Singapore, Ebay Foundation, Marco from eBay, Liz and Arthur Henderson, Golf Life Tours, Siematic Pairs Tournament and Rudy Von Bork.  Without your support none of our achievements would be possible.

Aims for 2014

• Open 2 more portable pools and swim program in Quang Nam Province.
• Open a pool and Swim Vietnam program in another part of Vietnam where children have no opportunity to learn to swim and drowning rates are high.
• Teach over 3,000 children swimming and survival skills.

As we grow and become more well known there are huge increases in the levels of government support and involvement. We are starting to generate a lot of interest from other parts of Vietnam.  I am very excited at the prospect of where we will be in a few more years time.