A teaching pool in the grounds of the centre, built with a £8,000 DigitalOcean impact grant and the gift of a CAFFE trustee. £40 a month keeps it running.
Large areas of Bangladesh stay submerged through the monsoon, and children who grow up beside water are exposed to the risk of drowning every day. Most of the young people who arrive at CAFFE have never been taught to swim, or even to float.
We teach the basics first — confidence in water, breathing, floating on the back, a length on the front — then move confident swimmers on to front crawl with side breathing and survival techniques.
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Confidence. Getting in, getting under, blowing bubbles, letting go of the side.
Floating and breathing. On the back, on the front, staying calm and afloat when tired.
A full length. Kickboard to unaided — the milestone that means a child can save themselves.
Beyond. Front crawl with side breathing, treading water, water-safety awareness.
The pool is dedicated to the memory of Frank F. Pinkerton, father of CAFFE trustee Christine Ayres, whose gift made it possible. Swimming was a huge part of his life and no one understood or cared more about safety around water than him.
A grant of £8,000 from DigitalOcean’s DO Impact programme paid for the build. It is the single largest gift CAFFE has received, and it may ultimately save lives.
If you are a UK taxpayer, you may be eligible to give Gift Aid at no extra cost to you.
