Quang Ninh offers free swimming lessons to rural children

The mountain district of Hai Ha has organized a free swimming course for 50 children. Lieutenant Colonel Ha Van Vu, head of the district's Fire and Rescue Team, said: “We focus on teaching emergency response skills in water, prioritizing indirect rescue methods. Many children believe they can swim well enough to save others, but without proper training, they risk endangering themselves. We’ve simulated strong currents in pools to give the children a real sense of nature’s power and help them understand their own limits when attempting to rescue others.”

Quang Ninh has approximately 100,000 children between the ages of 6 and 16, but only half of them know how to swim. The province’s goal this year is to ensure that at least 60% of children can swim and perform water safety skills, and that 90% of households have some knowledge of swimming safety and drowning prevention.

Ms. Nguyen Phuong Thao, Deputy Secretary of the provincial Youth Union, said: "We will continue to organize skill-building classes for children, with a focus on raising awareness of drowning and injury prevention through free swimming lessons, particularly for poor and disadvantaged children in mountain areas.”

The free swimming program has been implemented by the Quang Ninh Red Cross Society since 2020, attracting 800 students. In addition, local organizations have been distributing free life jackets, teaching water survival skills, and promoting home safety rules.