Anxious, yet subtle fear expressed
In the districts of Tempelhof, Tiergarten, and Marzahn, approximately 700 children are currently participating in intensive swimming courses, thanks to the efforts of refugee trainer Mohammad Shaban.
Mohammad Shaban, who has been working voluntarily for the Berlin State Sports Association, was selected to lead these courses. He completed his swimming instructor training in 2021 and has been making a significant impact on the lives of many children.
The swimming courses are a collaborative effort between the Berlin Swimming Association, the Berlin Senate, and the Berlin State Sports Association (LSB). The goal of these courses is not just to teach children to swim, but to help them feel safe in the water.
Many elementary school students are expected to earn their swimming badge by the end of the week. The children look at Mohammad Shaban with anticipation for their swimming lesson, and some are venturing into deeper water under his guidance. Around 50 children are swimming, splashing, and laughing in the pool, with two teachers supervising non-swimmers.
Some children, including non-swimmers, are learning vital water safety skills under Mohammad's guidance. He encourages them to face their fears in water, and his approach seems to be working.
The Berlin Swimming Association and the State Sports Association support refugee trainers like Mohammad Shaban by integrating them into these courses designed for children, including refugees, to promote water safety and swimming skills. This support includes providing opportunities for trainers from refugee backgrounds to engage with local clubs and communities, helping them contribute to swimming education and bridging cultural and social gaps.
Mohammad's journey is a testament to resilience. He fled from Syria in 2015 and traveled from Turkey to Greece in a boat meant for only four people, with eleven or twelve people on board, including children and elderly people who couldn't swim. Turkish soldiers shot at him while he was crossing the border, but he was not hit.
Manuel Kopitz, CEO of the Berlin Swimming Federation, expressed satisfaction with Mohammad's progress. He is leading swimming courses for Berlin children at the public pool of Tempelhof. The Berlin State Sports Association even funded Mohammad's swimming instructor license.
The courses not only help refugee children in Berlin overcome swimming and water safety challenges, but they also enable trainers like Mohammad Shaban to integrate into the sports community and build their capacities. It's a win-win situation for everyone involved. By the end of the week, around 500 children are estimated to leave the course with a swimming badge, ready to face the water with confidence.
- Mohammad Shaban, who completed his education in swimming instruction in 2021, is making a significant impact on the lives of children by leading intensive swimming courses that are part of the broader education-and-self-development initiative.
- Alongside learning vital water safety skills, these children are also gaining exposure to sports and the importance of teamwork during these swimming courses, which are a collaborative effort between the Berlin Swimming Association, the Berlin Senate, and the Berlin State Sports Association (LSB).
