Imagine living on a cliff and being afraid of heights. This is what life is like for the 300,000 people that call The Bahamas home.
80% of Bahamians cannot swim, yet they are surrounded by water.
Why we’re involved
For a coastal citizen, being unable to swim is not just a lost life skill. It is a daily battle with the fear of the ocean — your backyard. You are enclosed by memories of lost family and community members, fishermen and children. You fear for your children’s safety and the majority of fishermen who do not know how to swim. Your sustenance, identity and economy carry greater meaning than you thought they ever could.
Climate change, drowning, teenage pregnancy, over fishing, pollution, drug addiction, coral bleaching, Marine Protected Areas, the loss of traditional fishing areas, fear… all of these are stark realities in The Bahamas. However, we believe that these complex issues have one central theme — an information gap.
How to help
Education is key.
We believe that teaching swimming and environmental education is the most direct and cost-effective way of targeting this complex problem.
We seek to empower individuals to overcome their fear of the water in a safe and controlled setting. We work with competitive Bahamian swimmers to create a sustainable program, run by Bahamians for Bahamians, that promotes leadership, communication and stewardship.