Anybody can drown, nobody should.

Drowning is a leading cause of death in low and middle income regions of Asia (Unicef, 2012). Thirty two children drown daily in Vietnam (The Alliance for Safer Children, 2012). This number equates to 11,680 children per year losing their lives through a preventable cause. The World Health Organisation has recognised drowning as a serious and neglected public health threat.

The Australian Water Safety on the Mekong (AWSOM) Project is a small charity based in Perth, Australia (Charitable Licence 21613) and My Tho City, Vietnam (Certificate of Operation 402/CNV-HD). 

A group of dedicated teachers from Australian Swim Schools travel to Vietnam on an annual basis to run drowning prevention clinics for disadvantaged, disabled and orphaned village children along the Mekong River. In an effort to make our project sustainable we provide training and professional development workshops while in Vietnam as well as a scholarship program for Vietnamese swimming teachers to travel to Australia for training and experience. The team also runs a community education program in the remote regions of the Tien Giang Province. Additionally we provide sponsorships to children with disability to attend weekly swimming and water safety lessons throughout the year, taught by local teachers in Vietnam.