Activities

They are an extension of the SSA learn to swim programme in that they enable children in areas that do not have facilities to also learn to swim. They are plastic pools that are installed in a standard classroom with a heating system that uses solar panels. There must be qualified instructors that would conduct the learn to swim lessons.

The porta pool allows the children to be water safe and to be able to swim but as soon as the children are able to swim they must be taken to the big pool for strength and stroke correction.

There are children that can now swim comfortably in a 50m pool when they initial start was in a porta pool. To be able to teach South Africans to swim and drastically reduce drowning all schools without swimming facilities must have a porta pool.

Water safety education is a classroom based tool used to equip children, communities and South Africans at large with the necessary know, knowledge regarding safety in and outside water.

Water safety education can be done anywhere where people can sit and listen. It is innovate in its nature as it allows children to sing, recite, do role plays and puppet shows as they engage with the water safety presenters. The interactive approach is important as it creates fun and interest for the audience especially school children. The material comes in different African languages to cater for our Rainbow Nation.

The lessons are supported by promotional material that can be send home e.g. pamphlets, brochures, game boards, bumper stickers and sunscreen creams. Water education allows Swimming South Africa to reach out to al South African by sending the one life saving message.

WATER SAFETY LAUNCH

The event happened on the 10th October 2017 at Ellis Park Pool in conjunction with Joburg EMS.

Click this link to download the pictures and event background

OCEAN SPLASH WATER SAFETY

Kings Beach (26 December 2017)

Click this link to download the pictures and water safety report

LIFESAVING WATER SAFETY AWARENESS

OR Tambo District Aquatics presents Coffee Bay vs Port St John’s Lifesaving Water Safety Awareness event held on the 13th October 2018 in Coffee Bay.

Click this link to download the pictures

DAILY DISPATCH ARTICLE - MONDAY, 15 OCTOBER 2018

Lessons to prevent drownings

Rural children taught water safety measures

More than 200 children gathered on Coffee Bay beach on Saturday to learn about water safety, at an event aimed at curbing drownings in the area as the summer holiday season approaches.

Children from Port St Johns and Mthatha were bused in to join youngsters from Coffee Bay, and were taught swimming safety measures by trained life-guards.

Event organiser Karen Katz, a Swim SA instructor in the O R Tambo region, said she had wanted to host such an event for years.

“We need more people to come on board to help create greater water awareness and lessen the number of drownings,” she said.

Click here for full article

Is a continuation of the awareness programme mainly conducted to expose people in the coastal areas to the reality of drowning in the ocean, ideally to be conducted during the festive season.

People around the country mainly visit the ocean during the festive season and their main priority is to have fun. The programme carries through what people want which is fun but that is combined with safety which is far more crucial. SSA would attract from children to adults to be part of the ocean splash activity which will start off with water safety education followed by a variety of fun activities in the water like wading, duck diving, catch a wave, boogie boarding, flags etc.

OCEAN SPLASH WATER SAFETY

Kings Beach (26 December 2017)

Click this link to download the pictures and water safety report

Caters for people in the rural areas that are exposed to water in the following forms:

• Rivers
• Lakes
• Dams

All of the above are used on a daily basis for survival in the form of drinking, doing washing, for crossing to the next village which where the clinic or hospital is and for entertainment etc and unfortunately people are often exposed to danger as they perform any of the above. If there is too much rain then it is a struggle as people struggle to use what they use on a daily basis and in the process people drown. The rural splash programme exposes people to safety measures in their own environment while enjoying the benefits of having a river within easy access.

RURAL SPLASH

Poortjies Lagoon, Plettenberg Bay (27 May 2018)

Click this link to download the pictures

Swimming South Africa is always seeking the assistance of people who have the swimming knowledge to qualify as LTS instructors that can be deployed at pools where SSA have programs to assist with the running of LTS with schools.

Alternatively LTS programs can be initiated at pools where there is nothing happening and the assistance of volunteers in that regard would be appreciated. The more volunteers we the easier it would be to reach out to a majority of South African.

Off season there is also a need for volunteers that can go out and conduct water safety education talks at schools all over the country and this aggressive approach can save many lives. Material is given to schools to drive and enhance awareness.

Clubs create a clear pathway from water safety/ learn to swim to club development programme which is equipped to provide the necessary skills that would transform aquatics. Qualified coaches and 2 instructors per club are placed at all the club development sites. Mentorship programs have been formulated between the well established clubs and the new clubs from the previously disadvantaged areas as a formula to ensure sustainability of the clubs in the future.

The programme aims to close disparities created in the past as the programme identifies achieving clubs from the previously disadvantaged communities by providing club and athlete support. The programme also capacitates communities to take ownership of the clubs by forming sustainable club executive structures that would promote aquatics. The clubs have a clear mandate aligned with the National school sport strategy of ensuring that all learners participate in sports on a particular day.

The clubs are expected to host a gala and to also coordinate inter-house and intra-school galas within their area.

The following are the SSA developmental clubs:

• Superfins - CGA
• Piranhas - Border
• Paarl Aquarius - Western Cape
• Soweto Aquatics - CGA
• Attridgeville - NTS
• Umlazi Sharks - KZN

MPP EVENTS

WPA Fun Gala - Blue Downs Indoor Heated Pool, 8 July 2017

At least 300 children and 15 development clubs attended the gala hosted by WPA in conjunction with Western Cape Department of Culture Affairs and Sport & Recreation.

Click this link to download the pictures

POOL SPLASH - NORTHERN CAPE

The event happened on the 25th October 2017 at Warrenton in Northern Cape.

Only 25 kids participated on the day. They will be running this programme every Wednesday until January 2018.

Anita Hoogstander wrote this on Facebook...

A few years back, I opened a docket of a 8/9 year old girl who drowned in Weskanaal, in Warrenton, to see that lifeless body just lying there, I freaked out, I didn't even want to see the moment our Forensic people took her little body out of the water into that van... That night I cried before God and asked Him why? He gave me this vision to help kids who can't swim. I said, "Lord but I can't even swim." But He smiled and said, "Don't you know I know all about you. Just believe in yourself." I started to do research. And the rest is history... Mr Faried Joseph, thanks for the opportunity you gave me. Thanks for that special talent you share with the ret of us. Mr Ernest Seleke, you are a true warrior. Zenobia, thanks sis, for every step we walked together. It takes true friendship to share the same passion. The crew Lifeguards, Jeffrey, Tino, Lerato... Instructors, thanks to you all. Rolihlahla, Thlathlogang and Combined schools, thanks for investing in your beautiful kids. Warrenton Community we have champions amongst us. That "little angel" must be smiling down on us today!!!

Contact person for more information is Faried Joseph - 082 800 4284

Click this link to download the pictures

LTS CLINIC

Mozambique (January 2018)

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PAARL AQUARIUS AWARDS FUNCTION

This year the club was celebrating 40 years of existence. As a norm, every year-end of the season they have an awards function.

The head coach, Isaac Kock started compiling a set of records for the club from the middle 1980’s and since then Paarl Aquarius have Age Group, Open Water, Short Course and Long Course records on file.

Every year-end the club honours the hard-work ship of the athletes by an awards evening function to boost their moral in the sport. The club has put this event together for the last 40 years and they are adamant to see 40 more and even beyond.

The night was made possible by former swimmers and administrators of the club through sponsoring trophies. They had four categories of awards: Novice; Juniors; Seniors and the Top Award.

The night was full of glamour as swimmers, parents and guests dressed up for the prestigious event. Swimmers were very excited to be receiving their awards even though they were stressed, as they did not who was to receive what awards on the night.

Simone vd Merwe, Angus Solomons and Mark Peceur dominated the stage for the night. Simone scooped four awards in the Juniors category while the Senior category was very tight although Angus Solomons managed to walk away with two awards while Mark scooped three including the Swimmer of the Year award.

Other Award Winners were:

Future Prospect - Heiko Basson

Best Performer Beginner - Abigail Kotze

Best Progress Beginner - Minke Hugo

Juniors                                                                                      Seniors

Top Backstroke - Simone vd Merwe                                        Top Backstroke - Aimee-Jane Jepthah

Top Breaststoke - Simone vd Merwe                                       Top Breaststroke - Angus Solomons

Top Butterfly - Anika Hugo                                                       Top Butterfly - Mark Peceur

Top Freestyle - Simone vd Merwe                                            Top Freestyle - Helen Prinsloo

Versatility Award - Simone vd Merwe                                      Versatility Award - Angus Solomons

Best Progress Jnr Swimmer - Frans Cilliers                           Top Open Water Swimmers - Jamie Bossenger; Cianan Danhouse; Helen Prinsloo

Best Prospect Jnr Swimmer - Thomas vd Merwe; Anmi Slabberts

Prestiougus Award - Mark Peceur

Special Mention Award - Angus Solomons

Club Swimmer of the Year - Mark Peceur

Level 1                                    Level 2                                   Level 3

ANMI SLABBERT                   JAYDEN WILLIAMS                LARA BOTHA

THOMAS VD MERWE            JUNIKA HUGO                       ANIKA HUGO

ABIGAIL KOTZE                     FRANS CILLIERS                  LEROUX DU TOIT

HEIKO BASSON                     SIMONE VD MERWE            MARK PECEUR

MINKE HUGO                         KYLA SABBAGHA                 CALEB PECEUR

                                                THOMAS VD MERWE           ANGUS SOLOMONS

                                                                                               CIANAN DANHOUSE

                                                                                               AIMEE-JANE JEPTHAH

                                                                                               HELEN PRINSLOO

                                                                                               KARA CILLIERS