The Canadian Red Cross and Chinese Red Cross have come together in an exciting new initiative—Red Cross Water Safety Instructors from BC and Alberta will be travelling to Xiamen City in China to train 20 new water safety instructors. Over 100,000 people die of drowning each year in China and drowning is the leading cause of death for children aged 5-14. This exchange of knowledge will help save lives and increase safety awareness in China.
The two societies are building upon an established relationship that has been formally in place since 2009, when they signed a cooperation agreement that included the exchange of technical knowledge. In this case, the Canadian Red Cross is proud to share its long-standing and successful Water Safety Program with the Chinese Red Cross. This year marks the 65th anniversary of the Swimming and Water Safety Program, with over one million children being trained each year in Canada, keeping them safer in and around the water. When the Canadian Red Cross began its program in 1946, 8 of every 100,000 Canadians were victims of drowning. Today, drowning claims the lives of fewer than 1.3 Canadians per 100,000. We hope that the Chinese Red Cross will see the same success!
The training will take place between October 20th and November 2, 2011 and includes public education, water safety instructor training to help teach the Red Cross Swim Kids Programs (ages 6-14), program implementation, promotion, and facility management. The Canadian delegation is led by Red Cross BC-Yukon Director Kimberley Nemrava and includes Red Cross Water Safety Master Instructor Trainers Paula Thulin (Delta, BC), Anne Porteous (Nanaimo, BC) and Kevin Paes, Red Cross Water Safety Advisor, Edmonton, Alberta. The Chinese Red Cross worked hard to gather funds needed for the exchange, and if the program is successful, it may be expanded to more locations in China.
We look forward to hearing about the delegates’ experiences while they are in the field and when they return. Visit our blog to read first hand accounts from the delegates: www.redcrosstalks.wordpress.com.
