Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
Swimming instructor Jack Collins says National independent swim courses are providing additional lessons for children after school, because of the lack of water safety resources.
Jack says this includes providing additional swimming lessons for Pasifika children because the Pacific community are overrepresented in New Zealand’s drowning statistics.
“A lot of schools are taking out their pools. So awareness of water safety isn’t being raised not only for Pasikfa families but for all families,” says Jack.
According to the Surf Life Saving New Zealand’s Beach & Coastal Safety Report, on average 36 people drown every year on New Zealand’s coastlines. 19 percent were Pasifika. In 2012, Pacific people accounted for 7 percent of New Zealand’s population at the time, but made up 9 percent of the country’s drowning deaths .
Trainer at Drowning Prevention Auckland, Harry Aonga says water safety education and teaching Pasifika families how to swim can help bring down the statistics and save lives.
“If you teach them, they’re going to do it. And that is where we come in and try to educate our people to be safer. Hopefully in a way to bring down the drowning stats”.
Harry says swimming lessons and water safety courses can be financially stressful for some Pasifika families but opportunities are being made available for those struggling to ensure the safety of their children.
“We’ve been trying to provide some free programs for our Pasifika people cause we know it’s quite expensive to enrol.”
