SeaSafe + SwimSafe

In Bangladesh, the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation has been supporting the SeaSafe and SwimSafe projects led by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and the Centre for Injury Prevention and Research Bangladesh (CIPRB) for several years.

The SeaSafe project, initiated in 2012, funds the training and day-to-day operations of the lifeguard network on the beach of Cox’s Bazar to ensure its safety throughout the year. This programme was a follow-up to the CIRPB’s drowning prevention and awareness-raising activities across the country.

The SwimSafe project complements this system, with the aim of teaching swimming, in the pool and at sea, to as many children as possible guaranteeing the safety at sea of local communities.

Cox’s Bazar, a fishing port in southeastern Bangladesh, has a 120 km beach and is an important tourist destination. SeaSafe‘s vision is to protect the coastal population through various community awareness actions and to reduce aquatic risks, including training for local lifeguards.

In 2014, the country’s first professional lifeguard service was launched, with full-time lifeguards established at 3 locations. This service has helped save more than 200 lives so far.

In 2022, a new version of SwimSafe was born in the Barishal region: the BHASA project (which means “float” in Bengali).

Project goals:

To train lifeguards to ensure the safety of Cox’s Bazar beach throughout the year.

To train local lifeguards to teach swimming and ensure the safety of local communities.

To teach swimming to children in schools and communities around Cox’s Bazar to reduce drowning risks.

To reduce the number of fatal drownings of boys and girls under the age of 16 in Barishal and in the sub-districts of Taltoli, Betagi, and Kalapara.