Having discovered that the brick-making community at Botri were not considered by the local residents when they talked about drowning and that they were potentially at much higher risk of drowning because of their increased exposure to water, we decided to see if we could find out more. We went to see the brick-making process Read More
The hidden brick makers of Botri (Part 1)
Whilst working with the people of Botri to create a community risk map related to drowning, we sat down to speak with one of the village leaders. He explained to us what happens when people drown in the Nile at Botri; who the death is reported to (nobody unless the Civil Defence has to be Read More
Ahmed and Yasmin’s story
Whilst training lifeguards in Botri, I was introduced to Ahmed, whose younger brother, Mohammed, had drowned in the Nile in 2014. He took me to meet his sister, Yasmin, and together they told me their story. “Mohammed was 18 at the time. He would go swimming every day with his friends though he would always Read More
Changing attitudes – The new lifeguards of Botri
Botri is a village of about 5000 people, 20 km outside of Khartoum in Al-Jazeera state. In December last year, the Botri Charity Association (BCA) approached Nile Swimmers asking for help to combat the community’s self-identified drowning problem. In late December, Aquatic Survival Programme instructors went to the local primary and secondary schools to teach Read More