The free swimming programme is to beheld at the Hanoi Youth Culture and Sports Centre and will last for 15days. Children will be taught basic swimming skills and instructed infirst aid.
Chairman of the Hanoi Chapter of theHo Chi Minh Young Pioneer Organisation Tran Anh Tuan said teachingchildren to swim will be all year round, not just in summer. Throughthis programme, more and more children will hopefully attain theseessential skills, strongly reducing the risk of drowning.
Earlier in the year, 12 districts in Hanoi organised free swimming classes for 2,300 disabled and disadvantaged children.
Since April this year, 20 children aged from 3 to 14 have drowned, mostly in the capital’s suburbs.
The issue remains an enormous problem in Vietnam, with as manyunder-5-year-olds dying from drowning as all other causes of deathcombined.-VNA