The Impact of an "Unexpected" Water Project

I came to this part of Guerrero, Mexico to learn about and help out where I could with water projects because there is a drought here. You can imagine my surprise when I found out that there is a public swimming pool! Being an avid swimmer, I immediately checked out the situation. When Gloria, the swimming pool owner found out that I was working with MCC and that I knew how to swim, she immediately asked me if I could teach swimming lessons at the pool.

After getting the okay from my team, Gloria and I put together a schedule and began to tell others. During the first day, 20 adults and 15 children signed up to participate in the swimming lessons. Gloria and I were thrilled! But one teacher and 15 to 20 students is a lot in the water, even for a former Chicago Public School teacher. A new accuaitance, Julio, who is a physical education teacher at the local public school, volunteered to help me. He knew how to swim, but wasn’t confident teaching swimming lessons.

On the first day of classes, 15 adults and 10 children showed up. By the end of class, everyone was swimming a basic front crawl stroke, helping each other float, and generously encouraging each other. Best of all, everyone stuck around for another hour to continue practicing. We agreed to meet twice a week for one month.

Needless to say, Gloria was very excited. Not only had business greatly improved, but it also addressed one of her long standing fears of water safety in and around the pool, since there are no lifeguards and she herself does not know how to swim well. And we both acknowledged the health benefits of swimming and the enjoyment that everyone shared as they acquired new skills.

In the end, Julio, now feeling confident in his abilities as a swimming instructor, decided to continue teaching swimming lessons for a small fee the following month. And so, during my first few months in this dry, mountainous region, I participated in a sustainable, income generating, exercise promoting, community development project at the local swimming pool, which is successfully continuing without my participation. The impact of an "unexpected" water project.