A shared belief in the power of water – and the importance of helping people enjoy it safely – is bringing the NSRI and The Little Optimist Trust together.
Recently, members of the NSRI’s Community Programmes team spent two days at The Little Optimist at the V&A Waterfront, training nine young adults to present water-safety and survival-swimming lessons.
The training formed part of a broader three-day trauma-informed counselling workshop designed to better equip youth leaders, instructors, volunteers, trainers, and facilitators working with children who attend their therapy, sailing, and ‘blue mind’ programmes.
The collaboration began when The Little Optimist Academy Manager, Erica McCune, approached NSRI Water Safety Coordinator, Nicole Anthoney, about providing additional training for the organisation’s facilitators. The aim was to build on the work they were already doing by developing practical skills in water safety, survival swimming, first aid and rescue techniques.
“This partnership with the NSRI is incredibly valuable to us,” says Erica. “We share a commitment to keeping young people safe around water while building confidence and practical life skills.”
The nine participants were drawn from The Little Optimist Trust team and partner networks. They were selected because they work directly with children and young people, and their potential to grow as facilitators and leaders.
For Nicole, the participants’ enthusiasm immediately stood out.
“Although we come from two different organisations, I quickly realised that we share something very important, a love for people and children, and a strong desire to help keep everyone safe in and around water.”
Over the two days, Nicole, together with NSRI water safety instructors Charlton Coetzee and Lezhae Snyders, worked with the group on the knowledge and practical skills they will need to present water-safety and survival-swimming lessons themselves.
For Erica, this practical element is an important addition to the work the facilitators are already doing with children.
“It gives our facilitators structured knowledge and techniques they can teach children to help them know what to do in an emergency,” she explains.
What the participants do with their new skills is ultimately where the training can have its greatest impact.
The intention is for the nine young adults to become water-safety ambassadors, extending survival-swimming education to children who have had little or no access to formal swimming or water-safety training.
At the heart of those lessons is a simple but important NSRI Community Programmes message: water is fun, but it can also be dangerous.
By helping children understand the risks and giving them practical skills to respond in an emergency, the newly trained facilitators can help them enjoy the water with greater awareness and confidence.
The value of the partnership extends beyond the nine people who took part in the training. By equipping young leaders who are already closely connected to children and communities, water-safety knowledge can reach many more people.
For Nicole, collaboration is an important part of extending that reach.
“We are joining hands with a shared goal, to help create safer, water-aware communities across South Africa,” she says.
It is a goal that brings together the strengths of both organisations to help young people experience the confidence and joy that water can bring, while giving them the knowledge and practical skills to enjoy it safely.
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