Firm to offer free swimming lessons

Community News
A local swimming pool company will start offering free swimming lessons and other tips this month to minimise cases of drowning in the country.

A local swimming pool company will start offering free swimming lessons and other tips this month to minimise cases of drowning in the country.

BY TATENDA KUNAKA

The company, Pool Pump and Filter Centre, is targeting areas that are frequently affected by floods, such as the Lowveld, Kariba and Muzarabani.

The company’s marketing officer, Shadreck Gumiremhete said they felt obliged as a company to offer free lessons in flood-prone areas to reduce cases of drowning.

“We realised that cases of drowning are on the increase and as a company we felt indebted. therefore we decided to conduct the campaign,” said Gumiremhete.

“We are targeting flood-prone places such as Muzarabani, Mwenezi and Kariba, among others.”

He added: “We have identified some of the areas to do our campaign. “We are looking forward to starting the campaign mid-February.” The lessons will include first-aid skills and life-saving drills.

“We will be incorporating other important things such as teaching of safety precautions during floods, life-savings drills in the event of a disaster and basic first-aid skills,” he said.

The company, said Gumiremhete, has partnered with swimming associations in the country, schools heads, traditional chiefs and health personnel to ensure the programme succeeds.

“People must know how to prevent contracting water-borne diseases at this time of the year. that is why we have decided to have health personnel as part of our team,” he said.

Eighty-six people have drowned across the country since the beginning of the rainy season.

The heavy rains have also destroyed 180 houses in Tsholotsho, leaving most families homeless.