Amy is currently in Vietnam putting her skills to very good use with aiding in the implementation of a program to teach primary school-aged Vietnamese children how to swim. Vietnam has the highest level of child drowning in the world, and Amy is working as an Australian Youth Ambassador Abroad, in collaboration with an American charity called The Alliance for Safe Children, setting-up a learn to swim program in Da Nang, central coastal Vietnam.

During her 12 months study for her Masters degree, Amy also worked full-time with the Royal Lifesaving Society, and it was the Society who proposed and supported Amy’s application to spend 12 months in Da Nang. Whilst there Amy has co-written policies and procedures for the swimming schools, purchased and helped install 10 portable pools at local primary schools, recruited local people to be trained as swimming instructors and generally liaised with the schools, local People’s Party, the military, media and the local population to ensure that the swimming schools were successful. The military were involved as the Da Nang Army Base has the only serviceable Olympic-sized swimming pool in the city.

A typical day sees Amy up and about early, and returning late, eating meals with the locals and journeying to and from work, or one of the swimming venues, as a pillion passenger on a motor scooter taxi (Miss Kitty decorated full-face helmet a must). Amy chose to live in the local community, thoroughly enjoying the local people’s humour and goodwill, and picking up the language as she went.

Amy has now almost completed her year in Vietnam and to date the swimming program has taught more than four thousand Da Nang children how to swim. A most wonderful achievement for Master Amy and her fellow charity workers.