BAHRAINI children from low-income families will be given free swimming lessons and life-saving skills as part of the country’s efforts to reduce drowning deaths.
The Royal Life Saving Bahrain (RLSB), the country’s pioneer water safety agency, is now offering its Rookie Junior Beach Lifesaving Club programme free of charge to Bahraini families who cannot afford swimming lessons for their children.
The Tree of Life Society will cover the training expenses for 150 children, including their swimming kits, as part of the programme.
According to RLSB general manager Sam Rahman, 50 children have already registered for the session, which begins next month.
“We have received donations to cover the costs of kits, equipment and training for 150 Bahraini children from low-income families,” Mr Rahman explained.
“So far, 50 children have enrolled for this term, and we are working with the Tree of Life Society and other organisations to offer it to more youngsters who would otherwise be unable to attend.
“When the children enrol and attend the nine-week session, they will receive a rookie rash guard, bag and water bottle.”
RLSB’s ambitious rookie beach training programme, which began last September at the Budaiya Beach, has so far trained 400 participants.
The new free scheme for the needy is part of the agency’s water safety strategy, which includes youth and children in order to ensure safe swimming in Bahrain.
The GDN reported last month about three agencies in Bahrain – the Bahrain Olympic Committee, the Bahrain Swimming Association and the RLSB – joining hands to teach 10,000 youngsters how to swim within a year.
“Rookie is an important part of our youth development strategy, which aims to ensure that future generations have the skills and knowledge to save lives, and may even consider a career in lifesaving,” Mr Rahman said.
“Through donations, we have recently been able to offer free spaces in our rookie programme to children from low income families.
“We believe every child should have the opportunity to learn these valuable life skills, and are excited to be offering Rookie sessions in both English and Arabic.”
RLSB enhanced its activities focusing more on life saving skills after the 2019 Water Safety Benchmarking Survey. It revealed that more than 47 per cent of children in Bahrain do not know how to swim, while 95pc do not learn swimming at primary schools.
The survey also showed that 50pc of adults did not know how to swim or could barely swim, with one of the six key insights stating that Bahrain’s heritage as a water-minded nation was fast diminishing.
“The rookie programme involves children participating in safe, fun and organised activities in a beach environment,” Mr Rahman said.
“Throughout the term, children work towards achieving a bronze, silver or gold rookie award in each age group.
“This structure allows them to develop and build on their skills, term after term, year after year.
“The skills they learn as rookies may one day save their life, or help them to save the life of someone else.”
The programme is delivered by internationally certified lifeguards and assistant instructors who help participants in developing four pillars of rookie – leadership and teamwork, health and fitness, community and environment and lifesaving skills.
For more details contact info@rlsbahrain.org or 3200 1113.
raji@gdnmedia.com.bh
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