Saving Lives Through Water Safety Education

Every year, drowning claims the lives of thousands of children across Southeast Asia.

In rural northern Thailand, many children grow up near rivers, ponds, irrigation canals, and reservoirs but never receive formal water safety training.

As a result, drowning remains one of the leading causes of preventable childhood death.

To help address this issue, Warm Heart Worldwide partners with Chiang Mai International Rotary Club (CMIRC) to bring the Children's Water Safety and Drowning Prevention Program (CWSDPP) to local schools.

This internationally accredited program provides children with practical water safety knowledge, basic survival swimming skills, and the confidence needed to stay safe around water.

A Partnership That Saves Lives

The Children's Water Safety and Drowning Prevention Program was developed and is funded by the Chiang Mai International Rotary Club (CMIRC).

CMIRC provides the program design, funding, curriculum, certified instructors, transportation support, and access to professional swimming facilities.

Warm Heart serves as the local implementation partner.
Our role is to coordinate with participating schools, organize student participation, manage scheduling and logistics, and ensure that children from rural communities have access to this life-saving opportunity.

Together, this partnership allows children who might otherwise never receive swimming instruction to learn skills that could one day save their lives.

Internationally Accredited Training

The CWSDPP follows internationally recognized water safety standards and instruction methods.

Students are taught by professionally trained instructors accredited through Australia, ensuring that every child receives high-quality, consistent instruction from qualified water safety professionals.

The program focuses on practical skills that children can use immediately in real-world situations.

What Children Learn

Students participate in a structured program designed to build both water confidence and safety awareness.

Key topics include:

• Understanding water hazards
• Safe behavior around rivers, ponds, lakes, and canals
• Basic swimming techniques
• Floating and survival skills
• Water entry and exit techniques
• Emergency response awareness
• Self-rescue strategies
• Helping others safely without putting themselves at risk

The goal is not to create competitive swimmers.

​ The goal is to help children survive unexpected situations in and around water.

Why This Program Matters

Many rural children have little or no access to swimming lessons.

At the same time, they are often surrounded by water sources that can become dangerous during daily activities or seasonal flooding.

Research from around the world has shown that swimming and water safety education significantly reduce the risk of childhood drowning.

For many participating students, the CWSDPP provides their first experience in a swimming pool and their first formal water safety training.

The confidence they gain extends far beyond the pool, helping them make safer decisions throughout their lives.

Reaching Children Across Northern Thailand

Since its introduction, the Children's Water Safety and Drowning Prevention Program has provided water safety training to hundreds of students from schools throughout the Phrao district and surrounding communities.

By bringing together the expertise and funding of CMIRC with Warm Heart's deep connections to local schools and communities, the program continues to expand its impact and reach more children each year.

How You Can Help

Programs like the Children's Water Safety and Drowning Prevention Program save lives, but they require ongoing support to continue reaching vulnerable children.

Your support helps make it possible for more students to receive professional water safety training, transportation, instructional materials, and access to certified instructors.

Together, we can ensure that every child has the opportunity to learn the skills needed to stay safe around water.

Because every child deserves the chance to come home safely.

Program Partners

Chiang Mai International Rotary Club (CMIRC)

Program Developer, Funder, and Provider of Accredited Water Safety Instruction

​Warm Heart Worldwide

Local Implementation Partner, School Coordinator, and Community Liaison

Participating Schools and Local Communities

Helping ensure children gain access to life-saving water safety education.