Water-safe futures: Rotary partnerships making waves worldwide

PICTURED: In 2025, The Global Water Safety and Drowning Prevention Rotary Club partnered with Swim Vietnam and three local charities to raise funds for a program that provides swimming lessons for disabled children.

Through global partnerships with Rotary clubs and like-minded organisations, the Global Water Safety and Drowning Prevention Rotary Club is leading the way in reducing drowning deaths by delivering grassroots, life-saving education and training initiatives around the world.

Drowning is a silent, yet deadly pandemic that claims the lives of approximately 375,000 individuals annually. On average, this equates to a person drowning every 80 seconds. Alarmingly, 97 per cent of these incidents occur in low- and middle-income countries, although the number of children unable to swim in developing countries is on the rise.

The Global Water Safety and Drowning Prevention Rotary Club is a cause-based club with a global membership. As one of only two international Rotary clubs, it collaborates with Rotary clubs and partners worldwide to implement local solutions aimed at preventing drowning in vulnerable communities.

The club’s mission is to provide an opportunity for members to fuel their passion for aquatic education and support vulnerable communities. It achieves this by organising projects, coordinating fundraising efforts and participating in charitable initiatives. Its ultimate goal is to ensure every child has access to quality water safety lessons and can swim before they finish primary school.

The mantra ‘Anyone can drown – No one should!’ encapsulates its mission. Members believe that through the power of Rotary, they can make this vision a reality.

Chartered in 2022, the club has already made significant strides, supporting projects in countries like Uganda, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Australia and Nepal. Initiatives include training tutors, teachers and lifeguards, conducting school water safety workshops, promoting situational awareness, and implementing the Rhythm of the Water and Second Dip program, which redirects equipment and kit from landfill.

In 2025, the club has supported two significant projects to date. In Vietnam, it collaborated with Swim Vietnam and three local charities to raise funds for a program that provides swimming lessons for disabled children. The program will teach water safety skills to 68 children from the Kianh Foundation, Hearing & Beyond in Vietnam and Children’s Hope In Action (CHIA).

In Nepal, the club partnered with SWIM Coaches and Teachers Australia (SCTA) to bring SWIMCON International to the country for the first time. It sponsored 20 scholarships for members of the Nepali community to train as swimming teachers and lifeguards, ensuring a lasting impact on water safety and drowning prevention in the region.

Looking ahead, it has projects planned in the Bahamas, Australia, the United States, Gambia, Kenya, Uganda and Cambodia for 2025-26.

The club’s approach to delivering water safety education aligns with The Rotary Foundation’s core themes and ethos. It works with local communities to find local solutions to the problem, which extends beyond just teaching swimming. Membership is open to anyone with an interest in water safety and drowning prevention.

Around the World Swim 2025

Love swimming and believe in the power of Rotary? Join the Global Water Safety and Drowning Prevention Rotary Club (GWSDPRC) for the Around the World Swim 2025 – a virtual 40,075km swim relay around the Equator, launching on World Drowning Prevention Day, 25 July.

Whether you’re a seasoned swimmer or just starting out, this flexible one-month challenge lets you swim at your own pace, in a pool or open water, and set goals that suit your lifestyle. You’ll be part of a global team of Rotarians and friends swimming for a shared cause – to raise awareness and funds for lifesaving water safety and drowning prevention projects around the world.

Participants can choose to simply join the Rotary Team or take their impact further by collecting sponsors. Past events have improved swimmers’ physical and mental health, inspired new friendships and created lasting impact through Rotary-supported programs.

Make a splash for good – challenge yourself, feel stronger and help save lives.

Join the Rotary Team at www.aroundtheworldswim.com

For more information about the Global Water Safety and Drowning Prevention Group, visit portal.clubrunner.ca/17319 or gwsdprc@gmail.com or join the club’s Facebook group at facebook.com/groups/gwsdprc