How Carlile is Doing Our Part
Anybody can drown. Nobody should.
At Carlile Swim, this belief is at the core of everything we do. It shapes every lesson we teach, every swimmer we support, and every effort we make to create safer, more confident communities in and around the water.
While we’re proud of the role we play in Australia, we’re also deeply aware that access to water safety education is not equal around the world.
In Vietnam, drowning is the leading cause of death in children under 15, claiming more than 2,000 young lives each year. The Mekong Delta is particularly affected, with Dong Thap province experiencing drowning rates ten times higher than dengue fever and hand, foot and mouth disease combined.
Behind these numbers are thousands of preventable tragedies and a clear need for change.
That’s why the work of the AWSOM Project is so important.
AWSOM (Australian Water Safety on the Mekong) is dedicated to reducing drowning rates in the Mekong Delta through sustainable, community-led water safety education. By equipping children with essential swimming and survival skills and empowering local teachers to deliver these programs, AWSOM is creating lasting change where it’s needed most.
This Swim Safety Week, Carlile Swim is proud to support this life-saving initiative.
Across all 33 of our centres, we have sponsored one child each through AWSOM’s Survive and Thrive program. For just $62 — less than $1.20 a week — a child receives year-round swimming and water safety lessons, along with transport to and from the pool. These lessons are delivered by trained local volunteers, ensuring the program is both accessible and sustainable within the community.
It’s a small investment that delivers an immeasurable impact.
Swim Safety Week is a reminder that learning to swim is more than a skill, it’s a vital life-saving education. And while we continue to build stronger, safer swimmers here at home, we’re proud to extend that impact beyond our own communities.
Together, we can help create a world where anybody can swim and nobody should drown.
