Facing the fear of water: Refugees learn to swim in Lesbos

YSR has its roots successful swimming, explains Estelle Jean, the organisation’s laminitis and enforcement director. “In 2016, thousands of people were coming by the sea, particularly successful the bluish portion of the island, wherever the Turkish enactment is lone 12 km [7.5 miles] away. Rescue teams had formed spontaneously.”

The concern led to the commencement of the swimming programme successful Lesbos successful 2017, she explains. The purpose was to thatch swimming but besides supply an accidental to some rescuers and those who crossed the oversea to reconnect with it, particularly aft a traumatic experience.

YSR officially started successful 2018 and present operates successful 4 locations, with the different 3 successful Ioannina, Athens and Paris, France. In Lesbos, they clasp regular swimming classes from May until October, upwind permitting, which are unfastened to men and women (including women-only classes). Each radical has astatine slightest 1 teacher who cautiously monitors the students.

Mitali Desai teaches Hossein* however to interval by having him prevarication connected his backmost successful the water. [Giacomo Sini/Al Jazeera]

“Day by day, they are improving,” says Sara Balamurugan, a unpaid teacher from France. Three younger students practise limb movements connected the shore, portion 2 first-timers practise floating successful the water. Meanwhile, 2 precocious students spell further retired into the oversea with different instructor.

Salah comes backmost to the enactment doing the butterfly stroke, raising his caput and arms with each 2 limb kicks. Luiza Lena Benz, a swimming coach, tells him helium needs to close his manus positioning and demonstrates the close method. Salah listens attentively, past sits connected the enactment for a rest.

“I emotion swimming,” Salah says smiling. “I'm rather good, you know. I tin aquatics there,” helium says, pointing to the bluish mountains beyond the sea. “I came from Turkiye swimming,” helium continues, his code becoming much serious. “It took six hours. It has been hard, but I had a interval helping me.”