AS Australia braces for another hot summer, a unique program is helping culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities build life-saving swimming skills while also supporting carers of people with disability.
Since 2003, the Aqua English Project Ltd, in partnership with Metro South Health’s Health Equity and Access Team, has delivered swimming and water safety lessons tailored to migrants, refugees, and carers.
More than 246 newly arrived participants from countries including Syria, Sudan, Afghanistan, Burundi, Cambodia, Iran, and Ukraine have benefited from the program.
The initiative addresses significant health disparities faced by CALD communities. CALD individuals are more than 2.5 times as likely to drown as Australian-born residents, with those living with a disability at even higher risk.
Only 24 per cent of adults with a disability report very good or excellent health, compared with 65 per cent of people without a disability, and most drowning deaths occur within five years of a migrant’s arrival in Australia.
The program uniquely combines English language learning with aquatic skills, helping participants not only learn to swim but also gain confidence to access pools, beaches, and aquatic centres safely.
It also strengthens participants’ capacity as disability support workers, allowing them to provide safer and more inclusive care.
For many, the program is life-changing. Benjamin, a swimming-qualified disability carer from the Democratic Republic of Congo, grew up fascinated by water but never had the opportunity to swim.
“I always loved the water,” he said.
“But I never had the chance to learn. I would stand on the edge and watch, but I could never join in.”
Now, swimming is part of his daily routine – not just for fitness, but for stress relief and healing.
“When I get into the water, I feel my stress wash away. It lowers my blood pressure, calms me before work, and clears my mind. It is the best medicine I’ve ever had.”
Swimming has also strengthened Benjamin’s connection with his children.
“Before, I didn’t know how to help them in the water. Now, I can show them, guide them, and keep them safe.
“We swim together, and it connects us as a family. It gives me joy as a father to share that with them.”
Over the past two decades, the program has delivered 42 targeted adult beginner swim programs, including aqua aerobics for people living with chronic pain, a pilot capacity-building program for disability carers and support workers.
