Woman teaches swimming for free in Dong Thap for more than 2 decades

“I just hope that when I get old and no longer have the strength to teach swimming, the next generation or the children I have taught can do this for me. Only then will our homeland not face the fear of drowning…”, Ms. Sau Thia confided to a reporter from Lao Dong Newspaper.

Mrs. Sau Thia enthusiastically teaches children how to swim. Photo: Phong Linh

Go to Mrs. Sau Thia's house

In early May, we went to Hung Thanh commune, Thap Muoi district, Dong Thap province to meet Mrs. Tran Thi Kim Thia (locals affectionately call her “Mrs. Sau Thia” because she is the sixth in the family). She was not surprised to meet us because, according to her, the press and television came to her “like eating every day”.

“I saw many cases of children drowning on TV and felt very sorry for them, so I wanted to teach them how to swim and protect themselves. I hope that through the media, I will not be honored but will be promoted to prevent drowning in the whole society,” Ms. Thia confided.

In the late 20th century, Mrs. Sau Thia moved alone from Tien Giang to Thap Muoi district, Dong Thap province to start a business. Due to difficult circumstances, she did many jobs such as carrying, cutting cajuput trees, harvesting rice, etc. to support herself.

In 1992, the Hung Thanh commune government encouraged Ms. Sau Thia to participate in the Women's Union of Hamlet 4. In 2002, the commune People's Committee implemented a project to popularize swimming for children, Ms. Sau Thia was invited to be a "coach" to teach swimming because of her good health, hard-working nature and love for children. She accepted and from then on started teaching swimming.

The Simple Classroom

Since a philanthropist donated a plastic swimming pool in 2016, learning and teaching swimming has become safer and less difficult than teaching by planting trees in the river as before.

About 14 children lined up in two rows on the yard, starting the free summer swimming class in 2024. Before entering the water, the children were instructed to warm up their bodies, then they entered the pool to get used to the water environment. Each movement was like a platform for the children to float on the water surface and practice kicking, the teacher flexibly taught and tutored each child. Once they were familiar with it, they learned to swim crawl.

Her whistle has been continuously sounding for more than two decades, accompanying more than 4,000 children in the Mekong Delta to escape drowning. Trang Hoang Khanh Ngoc (Hamlet 2B, Hung Thanh Commune) shared: “At home, my parents taught me how to swim many times, but I couldn’t swim. When I heard that Mrs. Sau was opening a class, I immediately asked to join, and my parents were very supportive.”

If in previous years, the participants in Ms. Sau Thia's class were mainly children from 6 to 15 years old, younger children could join to get acquainted, this year it has been expanded to include adults.

“It is very dangerous for adults to have an accident on a boat without knowing how to swim. I hope everyone will confidently register for classes to ensure their own safety,” Ms. Thia confided.

Still many concerns

Mr. Trang Vu Han (Hamlet 2B, Hung Thanh Commune) happily said: "My children can learn to swim for free, I feel very secure! I hope that after today's lesson, my children will get used to the water and soon learn to swim."

Looking at the sky starting to turn to sunset, Mrs. Sau Thia's eyes were filled with sadness: "I have no husband, no children, and live alone, so I love children very much. Teaching children to be obedient and self-protective is extremely important. However, my health is getting worse, I don't know who will replace me as a swimming instructor to prevent drowning!", Mrs. Sau said softly.

According to Ms. Le Thi Kim Cuong - Vice Chairman of Hung Thanh Commune People's Committee, Ms. Sau Thia's swimming pool model is a practical and effective model, not only helping children learn to swim, limiting drowning, but also bringing the heart of a woman to the young generation and to society.

Speaking with Lao Dong, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy - President of the Women's Union of Thap Muoi district - said: "The Women's Union of Thap Muoi district highly appreciates her for always performing well the assigned tasks of the Union, especially actively propagating, mobilizing, defending, and protecting the rights and legitimate interests of women and children, including free swimming lessons for children in the area."

Source: https://laodong.vn/nguoi-viet-tu-te/vinh-quang-viet-nam-2024-nguoi-phu-nu-hon-2-thap-ky-day-boi-mien-phi-o-dong-thap-1337539.ldo