Ready Set Go: Finathon Teaches Local Indonesian Kids How to Swim
Very few children on the island of Gili Trawangan, Indonesia, know how to swim despite growing up on the tiny island paradise. This World Ocean Day, Trawangan Dive and the Gili Island Divers Association will give local children the skills they need to swim, float and snorkel as well as protect the ocean for future generations. Collectively about 300 local children will cover 7kms which is also the distance from Gili Trawangan to Lombok.
“Trawangan Dive is excited to be hosting our very first Finathon in collaboration with Project AWARE on World Ocean Day, the 8th June. We hope our endeavors will raise awareness against shark finning and ultimately shark protection, whilst opening up new opportunities for the local children of Gili Trawangan and providing them an invaluable life skill,” said Kat Waters, Trawangan Dive Instructor.
Funds will be raised in the afternoon when swimmers, cyclists and runners take on the Trawangan Triathlon challenge. Individuals or team participants will swim 800m, cycle 7.9km around the island and then run 5.6km. The event raises funds for Project AWARE and the island conservation organization, the Gili Eco Trust with some fantastic prizes generously donated by businesses on the island for a raffle and auction.
During the Triathlon challenge, volunteers will involve children in a beach cleanup, interactive games and sculpture making with rubbish.
Good luck to all the participants and kids swimming on the day. Thanks to Trawangan Dive for committing to 100% AWARE for the month of June – all their certified scuba diving students will receive the Project AWARE version of the PADI certification card and take part in ongoing Dive Against Debris surveys.
Now is the time to organize a Finathon at your resort, dive club or island. Get started today www.finathon.org
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