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Drowning is the leading cause of death for people aged 1–24 worldwide, with the majority of these tragic incidents occurring in developing countries.
That is why SwimRipple was founded. Established in 2020, SwimRipple is a private non-profit organisation that provides free swimming lessons for foreign domestic workers in Singapore. Many of the more than 100,000 foreign domestic workers in Singapore come from island nations such as the Philippines, with over 7,600 islands, and Indonesia, with over 17,000 islands. Despite their close connection to the sea, many still do not know how to swim. Overcoming the fear of water and learning essential swimming and water safety skills not only opens up new opportunities but can also save lives.
SwimRipple’s core philosophy is simple: by teaching just a few individuals these life-saving skills, we create a “ripple effect” that spreads throughout their communities. These new swimmers are not only equipped to stay safe in the water themselves but are also empowered to pass on water safety knowledge to their friends, families, and communities back home.
Thanks to the generosity of volunteer coaches—many of whom are student athletes from varsity swimming and water polo teams in Singapore—100% of the coaching 3 of 10 time is donated. In addition, the swimming facilities are provided free of charge. This enables SwimRipple to offer lessons at no cost. In return, each participant is asked to share their newly acquired skills with at least two others once they are able to teach basic water safety.
Through this exchange of knowledge, we are creating a lasting ripple effect, ensuring that water safety spreads far and wide.
Since its launch, SwimRipple has trained over 800 individuals, making a meaningful impact on water safety in our communities.
Foreign domestic workers who enrol in SwimRipple must commit to attending at least six classes, which are held on selected weekend evenings. They can earn certification in basic water safety, or in both basic water safety and basic swimming. Once certified, participants are asked to share their new skills with at least two others—friends, family members, or anyone else interested in learning. They will be required to confirm whom they have taught in order to track the programme’s reach and impact. This ensures there is a record of how the knowledge is being passed on, allowing SwimRipple to monitor and measure the programme’s benefits. Those taught by participants will then be asked to share the knowledge with others, continuing the cycle.
This “ripple effect” ensures that the programme reaches far beyond those who receive the lessons directly. By sharing their skills with others, SwimRipple participants help spread water safety and basic swimming knowledge to hundreds, and even thousands, of people over time.
This way, the program would not only teach a set number of Foreign Domestic Workers to swim, but it would have the “ripple effect,” effectively opening the doors to water safety and basic swimming knowledge to hundreds and even thousands of people.
Many of the 100,000+ Foreign Domestic Workers temporarily working in Singapore come from other island nations like the Philippines, composed of over 7,600 islands and Indonesia, composed of over 17,000 islands. Still, many Foreign Domestic Workers do not know how to swim. Overcoming the fear of water and learning how to be water safe and swim could not only open up a new world and opportunities to them, but it could potentially save lives.
Swim Ripple, started in 2020, is a private, non-profit organisation that provides free swimming lessons for foreign domestic workers in Singapore. Coaches are expert swimmers, usually having many years of experience swimming competitively on secondary and tertiary school swimming and water polo teams and/or with certified swimming instruction certificates, who volunteer their time on Saturday and Sunday evenings.
Foreign Domestic Workers enrolled in Swim Ripple must commit to attending at least six classes provided on select weekend evenings. They may get certified in basic water safety or in basic water safety and mastery of basic swimming. Once certified, they commit to sharing their knowledge of swimming to at least two friends, family members, or anyone else. And those who they teach, must commit to doing the same. And so on, and so on, and so on.