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Building a Powerful Partnership

SWIM & HTK Partnership

Hile Teuk Kampuchea (HTK) is registered!

SWIM Cambodia has been working hard to develop a local drowning prevention partnership. We believe that this collaboration will be strong and effective in keeping children safe against drowning all over Cambodia. We have been supporting the formation and registration of a local NGO (charity) in Cambodia. After a lot of collaborating, thinking, planning and work, registration is complete! The new Cambodian organisation is called ‘Hile Teuk Kampuchea’ which means ‘Swim Cambodia’ or literally ‘pull water (swim) Cambodia’. We will call it ‘HTK’ for short.

A lot of online planning meetings have been held by SWIM Trustees and the HTK board

Why a new National Organisation?

The SWIM Cambodia trustees, and Cambodian advisors believe that developing local leadership and a sustainable partnership through HTK will be effective in securing greater impact for the delivery of drowning prevention interventions. HTK will deliver water safety, rescue, survival swimming and CPR education to children, parents and carers. HTK will work to gain agreement with government ministries and local authorities with the aim of integrating drowning prevention interventions into the Cambodian school curriculum.

Meet the HTK Board

The new HTK logo

Hile Teuk Kampuchea (HTK) Logo

An HTK planning meeting (below) with the new board and advisors. The HTK team is made up of SWIM Cambodia trainers and other inspiring Cambodians who are passionate about drowning prevention for children.

The new HTK Office & Training Space

HTK Office in Phnom Penh
HTK’s new office and training space in Phnom Penh

Here, above, is the new HTK office in Phnom Penh (the capital city of Cambodia). The office is shared with one of one of our delivery partners, Youth Star. We love the new HTK sign!

Next steps 

There is plenty of work ahead for SWIM Cambodia and HTK. These next steps include a huge amount of fundraising work, planning our first survival swimming project and the exciting job of recruiting and training new staff to keep many more children, young people and communities safe from drowning.

Thank you for giving to SWIM & HTK

With heartfelt thanks for your ongoing support

Please give generously to support SWIM Cambodia & HTK’s work
to stop children drowning. We cannot do it without you.

Donate to help SWIM & HTK do more
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Happy World Drowning Prevention Day!

Leakena & Neath

Today, 25th July, marks the very first
World Drowning Prevention Day! 💦

This day was declared as part of the UN resolution on global drowning prevention and will be held every 25th July, with the first one in 2021.

An estimated 236,000 people drown every year, and drowning is among the ten leading causes of death for children and youth aged 1-24 years. More than 90% of drowning deaths occur in rivers, lakes, wells and domestic water storage vessels in low- and middle-income countries, with children and adolescents in rural areas disproportionately affected.’

SWIM Cambodia is a drowning prevention program based in Cambodia. SWIM targets children & young people who are most at risk of drowning by providing the following • Water Safety Education • Safe Rescue & CPR skills • Raising awareness of drowning issues in Cambodia • Survival Swimming Lessons (hopefully in 2022)

Drowning is a process which has three outcomes: Survival, Survival with an injury, or Death. When a child dies it is always tragic but deaths that could have been prevented are especially distressing. The huge wait of grief from child drowning grief hangs over families from the poorest communities of the world.

On average, 6 children die each day from drowning in Cambodia.

At SWIM Cambodia, we train volunteers and teachers in the delivery of water safety, safe rescue and CPR. Once education messages have been adapted to the local context, they are simple to teach and pass-on, which can be taught in the classroom and other community venues.

I’ve seen how children, young people and parents/carers enjoy 😊 these lessons as well as teachers and trainers loving their work teaching messages and lifesaving skills. Thanks to Leakena and Neath, who talked in the videos below and coordinate volunteer training for SWIM Cambodia. Along with other volunteers in the team, they give their time and expertise freely to save children’s lives. 🙏🏽

Please make some kind of commitment today, big or small to support drowning prevention. There are loads of things you can do to support drowning prevention: Raise awareness, campaign for water safety education in schools, give a pound, talk to others, start a fundraiser, write a song, make some art, share a post, gain more knowledge, find out more, volunteer some time and skills to support charities …Use this opportunity to help influence the safety of children in and around water. 💦 Please use this opportunity to do something to help save lives!

Happy World Drowning Prevention Day! A message by Neath in English

Happy World Drowning Prevention Day! Let’s make it safe and happy for children.

Every drowning is preventable. Support SWIM Cambodia to save lives

Happy World Drowning Prevention Day! A message by Leakena in Khmer (Cambodian) language.

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COVID-19 Update

Corona bikes Image by Daniel Kirsch from Pixabay

Many people in Cambodia are experiencing lockdown restrictions due to rising numbers with COVID-19. With schools closed, SWIM Cambodia cannot currently deliver water safety education. We are using this time to plan with our trustees, volunteers and delivery partners. We are also preparing for local registration to expand our reach. 

We think of all those whose lives and livelihoods have been affected by the pandemic and wish the best to everyone living in Cambodia

🇰🇭 

Image by Daniel Kirsch from Pixabay