Recently I was approached by Maria Hageneder, who established the Imarisha Foundation , to get involved in a project to teach the seaweed farmers of Zanzibar to swim. Many seaweed farmers are rural women who farm in the shallows. Unfortunately, because of the effects of climate change , the farmers are struggling. The increased water temperatures in which they farm is damaging their crops. It has been suggested that a different type of seaweed needs to be planted in deeper water. The biggest challenge is that most of these farmers cannot swim.

I am going to Zanzibar for two weeks with Alice Kidd to start the Swim Education Program off. Alice and I will be going to a few of the villages to teaching groups of students. We feel that teaching them where they will be using their new skills is best as well as less disruptive to their lives. We have been in touch Dr Flower Msuya , who works closely with the growers, to help us start this program. She and Rajab Ali Ameir from ZaSCI have already contacted the villages and selected the first groups who are ready to learn.

We hope to teach the more confident and able how to help their friends to progress until we can return or other volunteer teachers arrive. Photographs and footage provided by Dani Gal-on will be posted so you can see what progress we are making . I hope that this will inspire other swim teachers out there to volunteer some of their valuable time to help.

This is something that I believe will benefit the entire community and positively impact many lives. I know we will need a vehicle and funds to keep it running. We will also need some teaching equipment, life jackets, modesty suits (burkinis) and possibly a boat.