Tauranga: Ethnic women learning to swim in council-funded initiative

Sakshi Ahuja, Dipesha Kansara, Chanchal Saraswat and Daksha Mistry, pictured left to right, are taking part in a new swimming initiative for Muslim women at the Greerton Aquatic and Leisure Centre. Photo / Megan Wilson

Ethnic women are conquering their fears of the water and learning how to swim so they can “have fun with the family” through a new Tauranga City Council-funded initiative.

Weekly swimming lessons are being offered for ethnic women at the Greerton Aquatic and Leisure Centre in a “ladies-only” environment.

The initiative started in July. About 25 women have taken part so far. The council provided funding of $2500 plus GST towards the pilot.

Fijian mother Daksha Mistry said she “never” had the chance to learn how to swim - despite living in a country surrounded by water.

“We couldn’t afford learning.”

Mistry said her children were learning how to swim at school, which prompted her to learn.

She said her New Zealand-born nieces - described as “little mermaids” gliding in the water - also told her she should learn to swim.

While she was “very scared” of the water, swimming was something “we all need to know”, she said.

“If we go somewhere with our family, we can enjoy ourselves as well rather than sitting in the pool in one corner.

“That’s my aim - I want to swim with my family and enjoy the watersports, like snorkelling.”

Sakshi Ahuja, Dipesha Kansara, Chanchal Saraswat and Daksha Mistry, pictured left to right, are taking part in a new swimming initiative for Muslim women at the Greerton Aquatic and Leisure Centre. Photo / Megan Wilson

Sakshi Ahuja said her daughters - aged 12 and 7 - had been receiving swimming lessons for more than a year, but she did not know how to swim herself.

Originally from India, Ahuja said learning to swim was on her “to-do list”.

“When I go on a holiday, I can swim with my girls ... and have fun with the family.”

She said the swim instructors were “amazing” and she was “really happy” the council had thought about ethnic women.

“It is a really good step they have taken and I think it’s a really good way of supporting people from other ethnicities.”

Chanchal Saraswat, a mother-of-two from India, said she was “water confident” but did not know how to swim. She said the lessons gave her the opportunity to socialise and learn a new skill.

Mid-swimming lesson at the Greerton Aquatic and Leisure Centre are, from left, Chanchal Saraswat, Dipesha Kansara, Daksha Mistry, Dipika Patel, Saima Anis and Saadia Khan. Photo / Megan Wilson

Muslim community representative Saima Anis said she spoke with Bay Venues about a need for Muslim women to learn how to swim.

“Some of them have swimwear restrictions and they would rather be in a ladies-only pool.

“It’s been magical to see women come through and just try something for the first time and conquer their fear of being in a pool.”

Tauranga and Western Bay Indian Association president Dipika Patel said Indian migrants were “new to the landscape of [being] surrounded by water”.

Patel explained many people had to pay to learn how to swim in pools because half of India was landlocked.

“Ninety per cent [of women] would not venture to do that. Instead ... they might do dancing classes or yoga classes.”

Bay Venues community development ambassador Justine Knowles said she spoke with Anis about the challenges people from different ethnicities, cultures and religions faced when learning to swim.

Knowles said she worked with Bay Venues, BaySwim and the council to see what they could do to break down these barriers and help members of the community “who might otherwise find it difficult to walk through the doors of our public pools and get involved”.

She said the initiative had been “extremely successful,” and more women were showing interest in joining.

BaySwim manager Claire Horner said they identified an opportunity for BaySwim to run “culturally appropriate women-only swimming lessons” following Knowles’ meeting with different ethnic groups and communities in Tauranga.

“The learning environment for these lessons needed to be appropriate for the different cultures and religions and so we found some pool space that could be closed off during the lesson to provide that sense of privacy.”

Horner said they ensured sure female swim instructors and lifeguards were available for the lessons.

“The women loved it from day one. Seeing some of them get in the water for the first time in their lives has been incredibly inspiring.”

Horner said they were always on the lookout for ways to make classes “accessible and inclusive”.

“We want to teach people of all abilities and all ages how to be safe and confident in and around the water – that is an essential life skill when you live somewhere like Tauranga.”

Tauranga City Council community services general manager Barbara Dempsey said the council provided $2500 plus GST towards the pilot through the Welcoming Communities programme, which supports welcoming and inclusion in Tauranga facilities and public spaces.

“For newcomers arriving in Tauranga Moana, learning to swim and being safe in the water is important, as we know there have been several drownings across New Zealand which involved people from refugee and migrant backgrounds.

“Along with learning swimming and water safety skills, we also see the social benefits of this programme including building community connection, improving health and wellbeing, and increasing confidence for women in our ethnic communities.”

Megan Wilson is a health and general news reporter for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has been a journalist since 2021.