Chiang Mai International Rotary Club (CMIRC) - Kru Payu Children’s Water Safety and Drowning Prevention Program (CWSDPP)
The recent surge of Covid-19 in Thailand has slowed progress in our Chiang Mai Municipal Schools program. We have completed lessons for three of the eleven schools and two additional schools had almost finished with their courses when the schools were forced to close again. Schools reopened on January 19 and we hope to complete our program for all eight of the remaining schools before the end of the Rotary year on June 30. But, we have learned that during these difficult times flexibility and adaptability are very important qualities. Our team will find a way!
In Phrao, working with our Warm Heart Foundation partners, we finished our survival swim and water safety instruction in early December. In 2020, thanks to the funding from British Community in Thailand Foundation for the Needy (BCTFN), we expanded to seven schools in Phrao. Here are the highlights of last year’s program and projections for next year’s program from our interim report to BCTFN:
1. The 2020 Grant served seven schools in six classes with 170 children taking the classes.
2. The total BCTFN grant in 2020 was 131,250 baht or 770 baht/child for 15 hours of instruction by our five swim teachers, all equipment, pool rental, and transportation.
3. For 2021, we anticipate serving 160 children and expect the cost per student to be very similar to this year’s costs. After three years of experience and annual assessments in Phrao we are confident that our Phrao team is doing excellent work.
4. We want to thank BCTFN for helping us to reduce the risk of drowning for poor children in Phrao. (pictured below is Ian Bushell, left, of BCTFN and John Schorr, right, of CMIRC with the swim instructors during a recent visit to Phrao)
Finally, we welcome donations and new Rotary partners to help us continue into our 6th year and beyond of this life saving program.
We started this program in 2015 and we are still going strong and serving more children every year thanks to our wonderful sponsors and CMIRC volunteers! If you wish to help please contact Project Champion John Schorr at johnkschorr@gmail.com for more information.
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