Picture Andrew Ingram / NSRI
When 335 youth leaders came together for the recent Scouting-in-Schools (SiS) leadership development training, they expected a week filled with adventure, skills development, and connection. Through a partnership between the Western Cape Scout Region and the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI), many youth leaders also walked away with a newfound confidence in the water, and for some, the first step towards a future in water safety, lifeguarding, and community service. View the fun HERE.
“The Scouting-in-Schools programme enables leadership development and creates real world opportunities for growth,” says Tasmin Kriel, SiS Programme Manager. “The SiS programme enables youth aged 18–25 who are not in employment, education, or training (NEET), to develop leadership, vocational, and personal development skills while implementing tailor-made after-school Scouting programmes for thousands of learners in no-to low fee-paying schools in the Cape Flats and George.” SiS is implemented in partnership with the Western Cape Government and Year Beyond.
Picture Andrew Ingram / NSRI
“The aim of the partnership with the NSRI is to equip Scouting volunteers with essential skills in water safety, drowning prevention, and survival swimming. It also aligns with SCOUTS SA’s National Challenge ‘Be Water Safe’. So, it was very encouraging to see that following the camp, 192 participants volunteered to continue their training with the NSRI, marking a strong step from exposure to active skills development. Equally significant is the immediate confidence gained in the water. Of the 191 young people who initially identified themselves as unable to swim, 103 reported feeling able to swim after just a 30-minute session in the dam with NSRI instructors. This highlights how quickly the right training and support can begin to change perceptions and build life-saving skills,” explains Tasmin.
Caville Abrahams, NSRI’s Drowning Prevention Regional Coordinator for the Western and Northern Cape, describes these first sessions as an introduction to NSRI’s Community Programmes and a chance to assess who might become future instructors. “We want to upskill the youth in our survival swimming and lifesaving programmes so that they can create different career paths for themselves and be well equipped when they go into their communities,” he says.
The youth leaders will continue to raise awareness and build their skills by delivering water safety education in schools, training as survival swimming instructors, and working towards lifeguard qualifications with the support of the NSRI.
“This collaboration is a powerful example of what happens when organisations with shared values come together. By combining Scouting’s practical youth leadership and skills development approach with NSRI’s technical expertise, we have been able to create real opportunities for young people to grow, lead, and serve. When youth can find purpose and are enabled to actively contribute to safer communities, lives can be changed for the better. We look forward to the next step of the project where we will align the Life Savers training course to the accredited course offered by the NSRI,” concludes Gilzean Sasman, Western Cape Scouting’s NSRI Project Coordinator.
This initiative aligns with SCOUTS South Africa’s 2026 National Challenge ‘Be Water Safe’. Click here for more info.