80 children successfully trained at Kushal Lachman Gounder Memorial Swimming and Water Safety Project

It has been rewarding to watch children have the courage to learn how to swim and it is an even greater achievement that they are learning when and where to swim.

This was highlighted by Alexandra Diamond an Early Childhood Lecturer at the University of South Australia who has brought a team of 11 fully qualified swimming instructors from the University of South Australia that are currently running the Kushal Lachman Gounder Memorial Swimming and Water Safety Project at the Sonaisali/Naicovi Beach for children of Naicovi in Nadi.

Diamond says that the Project that ends today is being run for children who may not be able to afford swimming classes and has generated immense interest and support from the community as well as from the Korovuto and Naicovi community at large

She adds that they initially had 70 children who were part of the program and it has grown through the week, successfully training and educating a total of 80 children and their parents.

Diamond has also revealed that she plans to apply once more to the Australian Government’s New Colombo Plan to bring the project back till 2020 in Naicovi.

She adds that it would be immensely beneficial to have the project run across Fiji however this would be a much bigger project and has urged those stakeholders who are interested to have young people learn to swim and know the importance of water safety to also get involved.

Diamond has also challenged parents to take the time to help children to understand water safety as she believes that this works hand in hand with knowing how to swim.

Diamond says that the training that ends today is named ‘Kushal Lachman Gounder Memorial Swimming and Water Safety Project’ in memory of nine year old boy, Kushal Lachman Gounder from Naicovi who drowned in 2016.