Australian Government to provide 15,000 AUD in grant

HCM City (VNA) – The Australian Government will provide 15,000 AUD (roughly 200
million VND) in grant to support drowning prevention and life-saving training in the
Mekong delta.

The grant, announced by the Australian Embassy in Hanoi on May 18, will be used
for training swimming and drowning prevention for 110 instructors, who will then
transfer the skills to children aged 6 to 18 years in 13 flood-prone provinces in
the region.

The training will be undertaken by the Vietnam National Aquatic Sports Association
(VNASA), which will publish manuals on basic swimming techniques and drowning
prevention for distribution in An Giang, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Ben Tre, Binh Duong, Can
Tho, Dong Nai, Dong Thao, Hau Giang, Kien Giang, Long An, Tay Ninh, Tien Giang and
Vinh Long.

This is the second grant VNSA has received from the Australian Sports
Commission-financed Australian Sports Outreach Programme (ASOP). In 2008, VASA used
Australian funds to provide swimming and life-saving training to more than 170
children and youth in the Mekong delta.

The Australian Sports Outreach Progamme supports community participation and
physical activity in the Asia-Pacific region. With an annual budget of about 270,000
AUD (3.5 billion VND), it also addresses broader community issues such as health
promotion, leadership and social cohesion through sport and physical activities.
-Enditem