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- The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) has built a survival swimming centre to help prevent drownings in Riebeek-Kasteel.
- The container pool is on the premises of Meiring Primary School.
- More than 2 000 children have frequented the centre since it opened in April 2022.
While their schoolmates play on the field during break time, Grade 5 pupils at Meiring Primary School in Riebeek-Kasteel line up ahead of their swimming class.
Petro Meyer, who runs the National Sea Rescue Institute's (NSRI) survival swimming centre, is already in the water, set for the day's lessons.
The NSRI built the centre to help educate pupils about water safety after several drownings in the area.
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The compact red shipping container is wedged between classrooms on the school's premises and houses a six-metre pool, office space and changing rooms for pupils to use before classes.
"The programme aims to teach pupils how to be safe around water. It can get close to 40 degrees in Riebeek-Kasteel, and many of the children go swimming in farm dams," Meyer told News24.
The water safety instructor teaches eight to 10 groups of three children, four times a week.
"I am currently working with volunteers so that in the future, they can run sessions, and the centre can be open seven days a week," Meyer said.
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During each lesson, pupils between Grades 3 and 7 are taught how to float, control their breath, orientation, and move to a safe place.
Meiring Primary principal Brenton Cupido said he noticed a difference in pupils after the centre opened.
"When we first told the pupils about the survival swimming centre, their enthusiastic reaction was promising. Once the NSRI built the centre, I struggled to keep them away," Cupido added.
He said the feedback from parents has been overwhelming, thanking the NSRI for implementing the initiative for the children.
"Some of the learners who go through the programme are the first to learn how to swim in three generations," Cupido said.
Grade 6 pupil Akosua Asamoah started the programme at the beginning of this year and is now confident of her ability in the pool.
"At first, I was nervous because I didn't know how to swim, but now I can swim and help others if they are drowning in the pool," she said.
Another Grade 6 pupil, Dhaygan Damonse, was sent to the centre after his grandmother feared he would drown at the beach.
"She was worried I won't know what to do when I got into the water. Now, I often go swimming at Blouberg Beach," he said.
The NSRI has since opened two other centres in Tambo Village in the Eastern Cape and Oshabeni in KwaZulu-Natal.
