"Swim for Good" 2024 on Lesvos

Every year, countless people make the dangerous journey from Turkey to Lesvos in search of a safe life. Our aim is to raise awareness of the distress of these refugees and offer them a special swimming program that takes their trauma into account. This program is designed to provide safety, increase mental and physical well-being. Swimming is an important skill that is part of the curriculum in many countries but is denied to most refugees.

You can support the "Swim for Good" initiative.
 
The people who cross the Mediterranean risk their lives in hope of safety and a new chance. These risky journeys are traumatic and leave many with a deep fear of the water that persists over time and requires special support.

Swimming program for refugees
Together with our local partner "Yoga and Sport with Refugees Levos" (YSR), we will be offering a swimming program this summer that addresses trauma management and takes away their fear of water. The participants from the refugee camps will also be taught the basics of swimming, which will give them a sense of security.

The offer was implemented by YSR last year. Together, we would like to develop the project further to reach even more refugees. We are planning the offer from June to September 2024 and would like to help more than 100 people every month to strengthen their self-confidence as well. Especially for people living on an island, swimming offers the opportunity to lead a healthier life.

The coaches are specially trained for the implementation and prepared for the challenge of overcoming trauma.
Thanks to our varied experience in swimming and the implementation of swimming courses and coach training, we can make a major contribution to the successful further development of the project with YSR.

Requirements
In addition to volunteers, a lot of materials are also important for carrying out the swimming training on the coast of Lesvos. To ensure the participation of female refugees, we need a safe van to take them to the training and back to the camp.
And, of course, swimming materials such as swimming costumes, swimming goggles, swimming boards and pool noodles are also important.

In addition, we and our partner also have administrative costs, which we have to finance through donations.

Campaign
We are also developing a campaign to raise awareness of the difficult refugee routes across the Mediterranean. The highlight of the campaign will take place on June 29, 2024 on Lesbos with a charity swim. The campaign will be supported by social media, press work and giveaways.