Ute Shaw’s Swimsuit Mission

20 Apr Ute Shaw’s Swimsuit Mission

A few years ago I heard about a tragic event that happened in the Bahamas: A group of elementary school children went for a daylong excursion, and what should have been a fun day for all, ended with two kids drowning.

They didn’t know how to swim, although you’d think that living on an island, everyone would. Thereafter, the Bahamian government made it mandatory that swimming lessons be part of the curriculum. And now for 1 hour per week, per term, every public school student received lessons at the local YMCA swimming pool. Great move, but far from perfect.

For many years I’ve enjoyed spending time in the Bahamas and about a year ago I heard about a little girl there who jumped into the pool at the Y, wearing her prettiest yellow dress. She desperately wanted to learn how to swim and be part of the class enjoying their swimming lessons. To her, her dress looked like the perfect alternative to the swimsuit she didn’t have.

Her story touched me deeply. I wanted to make this little girl’s wish come true, because to me it seemed so easy when all she needed was a swimsuit which I could easily buy. I decided to go through the proper channels and spoke with Karon Pinder-Johnson, the executive director of the YMCA. She told me the little girl was not alone. About 40 % of the 4800 students can’t afford swimsuits. Even though the swim lessons are mandatory, many families in the Bahamas do not have the means to provide their children with swimwear.

Think about it for a minute. The Bahamas are comprised of over 700 islands each one surrounded by water and there are about 2000 children each year who won’t learn how to swim for lack of a swimsuit!

Surely, I said to myself, there was something I could do to help, and in 2009 I started buying & collecting swimsuits all over the place. I went to the Salvation Army Thrift shops, Goodwill and secondhand stores, and on average paid about $2.50 per swimsuit. I also asked all my friends to donate their kids’ swimwear that they had either outgrown or no longer wanted to wear.

Thus far I have only been able to contribute a few hundred swimsuits which is a fraction of what is needed. If you could help me get the word out, I’m sure we could collect the thousands of swimsuits needed on an ongoing basis for these kids, because as we all know, school age children quickly outgrow their clothes, and that includes their swimwear.

We need new or nearly-new swimsuits for boys & girls ages 5 -16. Please ask your friends, or consider buying them from Thrift stores. Owning a swimsuit would mean the world to these Bahamian children: It would mean being part of the group; it would mean freedom; maybe even survival!