MORE than 8,000 children in Bahrain have been trained as future lifesavers on beaches under a tailored programme.
Through its rookie club, the Royal Life Saving Bahrain (RLSB) hopes to see these juniors working alongside professional lifeguards at public beaches in the long run.
The GDN reported in 2019 that the RLSB had trained more than 6,000 children in government schools to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and a number of other lifesaving skills through its Little Lifesaver workshop.
Strategy
In the past 18 months, more than 2,000 children from 10 countries have been trained virtually, due to restrictions imposed by the pandemic.
However, with Covid-19 restrictions now easing up, the RLSB has launched its Rookie Junior Beach Lifesaving Club, which offers to introduce children aged six to 16 to the world of lifesaving.
“The programme represents the next stage in our strategy to empower and develop our youth with the skills, knowledge and confidence to be future lifesavers,” RLSB general manager Sam Rahman told the GDN.
“The programme involves children taking part in safe, fun and organised activities in a beach environment, preparing them to be future lifesavers.”
The programme delivered by internationally certified lifeguards and assistant instructors is designed around the four key pillars – teamwork and leadership, health and fitness, community and environment, and lifesaving skills.
The training is currently held at the newly-launched Olympic Aquatic Complex, the first-of-its-kind open water swimming facility at the Bilaj Al Jazayer Beach.
The GDN reported earlier this month that it comprises a 50m 10-lane pool and a 25m eight-lane pool, continuously manned by RLSB lifeguards.
The facility has been constructed by the Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC), under the directives of Supreme Council for Youth and Sports first deputy chairman and BOC president Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa.
A large air-conditioned tent at the beach to help children beat the extreme hot weather has also been set up.
“Until now the camps have been attended by more than 70 children,” said Mr Rahman.
“Each day at camp is different, and each week is different, so that children feel they are constantly learning, while improving their skills and techniques.”
With schools expected to resume next month, RLSB plans to make the programme a termly activity children can enrol for, in which they will come once or twice a week, working towards bronze, silver and gold lifesaving awards.
“Our hope is that club will become a community hub for young people and their families, visiting the beach, having fun and learning skills that could one day save their lives, or the life of someone else,” said Mr Rahman.
“Long term, our hope is that these children become volunteer lifesavers, working alongside professional lifeguards at public beaches to help us educate and safeguard swimmers.
“The skills that children learn throughout their time as rookies are transferable skills for a number of different career paths in later years.”
Meanwhile, Mr Rahman explained that during the online sessions children used homemade manikins made from an old T-shirt, water bottle and rolled up towels to practise.
“These programmes showed us that young people in Bahrain have a fantastic ability to learn and retain these lifesaving techniques, but more importantly have such an enthusiasm for learning these life skills.”
A nationwide survey by RLSB in 2019 revealed that more than 47 per cent of children in Bahrain do not know how to swim.
The Water Safety Benchmarking Survey also exposed that 95pc of children do not currently learn swimming at primary schools.
The study covered a representational sample of the population with 573 people taking part, 88pc of whom were Bahrainis.
The GDN previously reported that on an average, 16 to 20 lives are lost to drowning each year in Bahrain.
The RLSB launched a summer campaign in Bahrain last month, #itonlytakes20seconds, aimed at saving lives supported by Bahrain’s own social media platform www.GDNlife.com, and sponsored by Batelco.
raji@gdn.com.bh
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