Program Outline - Ho Tram and Tra Tan May 2016

In 2012 Water Safety Vietnam conducted at community swimming program at the Ho Tram Beach Resort. This program was developed because Vietnam is a country that has 3,300km of coastline and 7,000km of rivers and drowning statistics of an estimated number of 35 per day.

Ho Tram

Part of the program they developed included a push to get a public pool built in Ho Tram. The local authorities had allocated a piece of land and from the vision of Water Safety Vietnam and generous supporters and the Ho Tram Water Safety Consortium (led by Carl Gay), the pool has now been built and is in use.

This year (2016) Water Safety Vietnam planned and organised a swimming program for approximately 50 kindergarten children, an additional program for 15 - 20 school teachers and community teachers; as well as a AUSTSWIM accredited course.


Leading the Program was Tim Kemp, focusing on the organisation AUSTSWIM course and overseeing the swimming program. Adam Barrett led the swimming program and I had signed up to volunteer for the organisation to assist with the swimming program.



I met with Pam, Robyn and Charles to discuss my suitability and commitment to the program. The program is a water safety program similar to Australia however the complications are that of being and travelling in a foreign country with very little English. Although the leaders of the trip and program are very proficient and patient (given that nothing runs exactly to plan in Vietnam), there are many changes and logistics that each of the program providers and volunteers need to manage professionally and efficiently. I was confident that I would be able to manage such obstacles having previously travelled before and felt enthusiastic and optimistic about supporting the program.

This then began my involvement in the Water Safety Vietnam water programs for Ho Tram and Tra Tan May 2016.

Tra Tan

In 2015 Tim Kemp and Adam Barrett conducted a swimming program in Tra Tan following on from the program that was conducted there in 2014. This was a successful program that has been supported by the Chim Tan Church and again this year a two week program will be conducted with Adam Barrett as the leader.

This blog is an opportunity for me to record the journey and share the extremely important and purposeful vision of Water Safety Vietnam.