Jigalong kids enjoying a well-earned healthy snack after a swim
Jigalong kids enjoy Swim for Fruit program all summer long
Children in the remote Aboriginal community, Jigalong, in the Pilbara region have actively been engaging in the most recent season of the Go for 2&5 Swim for Fruit program, getting involved in swimming laps of their remote pool to be rewarded with a selection of fresh fruits for afternoon tea.
Jigalong Remote Pool Manager Deb Gill has been working with the Jigalong Youth Team to assist them with the counting and recording of their laps thanks to the ongoing involvement of Ada and her team, Elyisha and Clintisha. Students in the Jigalong community get to immerse themselves in both the fun and educational aspects of swimming, partaking in water safety exercises and aquatic activities such as water polo.
The Jigalong pool has been part of Royal Life Saving WA’s Remote Aboriginal Swimming Pools program (RASP) for over 20 years, celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2020. Programs such as Swim for Fruit and RASP help to support ongoing health and social benefits including enhanced community cohesion, aquatic education and improved health status in Aboriginal communities.
With Aboriginal Australians being identified as having higher disease and death rates, as well as being 3.6 times more likely to drown than Non-Aboriginal Australians, the Swim for Fruit program is designed to address these ongoing issues. By encouraging uptake of a healthy lifestyle through the program, Royal Life Saving WA can contribute to reducing the risk of chronic disease among Aboriginal Australians. Swim for Fruit is supported in the Pilbara by Healthway and Principal Community Partner BHP.
Our remote Aboriginal Swimming Pool program is supported by the Department of Communities.
The kids in Jigalong have taken a significant interest in the Swim for Fruit Program, regularly attending the Remote Pool after school to enjoy the pool and their Go for 2 & 5 healthy snack. With the success of the season so far, we know the coming weeks will be filled with lots of aquatic fun for the children!