Chiang Mai International Rotary Club (CMIRC)-Kru Payu Children’s Water Safety and Drowning Prevention Program (CWSDPP)
Not much to report this month since all of our survival swimming and water safety courses are municipal-school-based and all Thai municipal schools have been closed for warm season holidays in April. The good news is that we are fully-funded for all our swim programs in Rotary Year 2021-2022.
However, now we have learned that school openings have been delayed due to a Covid-19 surge in Thailand. We hope schools will be able to reopen in June, but even if they do, the national order to close all swimming pools also due to Covid-19 may not be rescinded by then. So, we will do our best to be flexible and to work with our partners to ensure that all of our courses at the 24 municipal schools in Phrao and Chiang Mai are conducted this school year!
In addition, we still have not received word that the Thai government will allow the reopening of the Migrant Learning Centre in Banya, Phuket Province where we also have funding to conduct a program for 50 elementary school children. Interesting times!
Here are a couple of pictures of what we hope to be doing again in June of this year in Chiang Mai, Phrao, and Banya, Phuket. Wish us luck!
Finally, we’d like to thank all the organizations listed below for their continued support, and we’d like to welcome the support for our swim programs from the Rotary Club of Grand Monadnock, New Hampshire, USA. The Rotary Club of Grand Monadnock provided funding for all the children’s swim equipment needed for this year’s programs. There are also three Thailand-based philanthropists, who wish to remain anonymous, who have helped us fully fund our Phrao and Chiang Mai swim programs. Thanks to all who make this program to address the leading cause of children’s deaths in Thailand possible!!!
CMIRC Children’s Water Safety and Drowning Prevention Team and Sponsors