Sunday Times 2
Christina Fonfe presented with the British Empire Medal
View(s):The British Empire Medal, formally known as the British Empire Medal for Meritorious service was presented to Christina Fonfe at the British High Commission in Colombo in recognition of her eleven years of selfless work with the Sri Lanka Women’s Swimming Project (WSP). WSP is a community drowning reduction program that teaches underprivileged women and teenage girls how to swim, as a basic survival skill and aims to empower them to teach their own children to make them safe near water.
Throughout Asia, the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami was responsible for the deaths of thousands of people. Oxfam estimated that 80% of those that drowned were women and children and a disproportionate number were girls. The vulnerability of women is likely due to the fact women are not encouraged to learn to swim in Asia. Christina came out to Sri Lanka in 2005 to change this, as she passionately believes “water safety and swimming is a life skill, NOT a luxury – everyone should be entitled to have it.” Therefore, the project specifically addresses the cultural barriers which prevent the majority of Sri Lankan women and girls from learning to swim. She explains how sadly “more time is spent educating people on the need to learn to swim than in the actual water.”
In 2005 she kick-started her mission, teaching swimming lessons to tsunami survivors living in temporary camps in the south of Sri Lanka, in a dilapidated coconut plantation pool. Initially she trained one thousand women to swim and trained six women as qualified swimming instructors. Since then the WSP has grown, training over 5000 girls and women in basic water survival skills, ranging from the age of thirteen to seventy-four.
Christina stresses the huge importance of learning to swim. First and foremost, it is a necessary life skill which in adverse circumstances can save lives. By learning to swim it also empowers women, equipping them to teach their children and others in water safety. Christina also highlights the fact that swimming is fun! Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by some of the most gorgeous coastlines in the world. She recognises that the sea can be extremely dangerous but It is also something to be enjoyed. Finally having the ability to swim can result in increased self- esteem. It is a great extra-curricular activity and children who do not necessarily excel academically are given an alternative. Not to mention the positive impact it has on a person’s physical and mental wellbeing.
Gaining the ability to swim opens up so many doors and opportunities. Christina explains how in the early years of the project she taught a painfully shy, severely dyslexic young women to swim. She had struggled academically, been affected by the tsunami but showed real promise in the water. Christina, recognising her talent, trained her as a qualified instructor. With new leadership skills she was transformed into a confident, animated and incredibly happy swimming coach. Swimming is such a transferable skill that she is now living in Abu Dhabi utilising her skill in a number of successful jobs.
The British High Commission assisted the project, donating a 12 metre swimming pool in 2012. This pool is located in Ahangama which is now the project headquarters, although they also teach every Monday afternoon in the community pool in Galle.
The swimming instructors are extremely competent; all Christina’s instructors receive an internationally recognised qualification from the Swimming Teaching Association (STA). They encourage and motivate and every student receives one-on-one tutoring for their first lesson. After their course of swimming lessons each student will be issued with an “I can swim can you” certificate, this deems them pool water safe. Before they receive the certificate they must be able to float for over ten minutes, swim 100m, jump into the water out of their depth and climb out of the deep end unassisted. At this stage, students can opt for further lessons if they wish to continue their tuition. The instructors also educate the women in nutrition and female hygiene.
Christina has made the decision after 11 years to take a step back, she has now handed over the management to a very determined and devoted Sri Lankan female. Christina urges that the project must eventually become sustainable and has given the manager freedom to take it further. Women and girls over thirteen will still be paid for by the charity, however it is possible the project may evolve into a swimming school meaning they can charge for students outside of this category.
It was particularly important for Christina that she received her award in Sri Lanka rather than the UK as she wished to share her achievement with her hardworking and supportive colleagues, family and friends. She emphasised that without them the project would never have been possible and certainly would not have been continuous since 2005. Christina is so pleased that thousands have learned to swim: “I have great pleasure in watching these girls/women transformed into effortless streamlined swimmers with confidence. It has always been a tremendous personal reward to me. We just need more people to take the step into a pool.” Still as many as three people drown every day on Sri Lanka’s beaches, lakes and rivers. Christina and WSP are still working to reduce these numbers. For further information, check out www.icanswimcanyou.com