Published September 12, 2024
Faced with constant violence and economic turmoil in Syria, four sisters found their way to Turkey. Fast forward a decade, these sisters Reyan (15), Shahd (17), Lemar (11), and Remas (13)— arrived in Washington state not knowing the language, people or culture they were starting from scratch.
Like many new refugees moving to America awaiting to be relocated, the Hilal family had no control over what happened next, and ended up in Federal Way, Washington.
Through the work of the Immigrant Women's Community Center (IWCC), a friendship was born between volunteer Britt Hemphill and the Hilal family. After inviting the family to the Olympic Peninsula, he soon came to realize that the girls didn’t know how to swim.
Hemphill, a pastor at Dungeness Community Church and a swim coach for 40 years, initially brought the idea of Refugees in Swim Education (RISE) to Jenna Lehman, Executive Director at the Gordon Family YMCA.
“I believe this is just the beginning of something that could be lifesaving”, said Hemphill. “These kids are having their stories rewritten and what they do around, what they feel about the water and water safety as they find their way in a new country.”
Initially terrified of entering the water, the bright smiling sisters can now confidently say that they’ve finally learned to swim after two months of classes every Saturday evening at the Gordon Family YMCA.
“At first, I feared water, because when I was young, I had problems with water, and someone helped me,” said Reyan “So, I feared the water for a very long time.”
Now cannon balling into the water, the Hilal sisters have overcome their fears and look forward to putting their newfound skill into everyday life.
“You know swimming is life, if you don't swim you don't have a fun life, you don’t have an exciting life. So, swimming is life,” said Reyan.
For Remas, swimming was a lifelong dream of hers.
“I always wanted to know how to swim, to be able to save my life.”
The RISE program is still in the pilot phase and was developed in response to the growing headlines of refugee children drowning. The program was initially sparked by the tragic loss of 15-year-old Dieudonne Eca, a teen from the Democratic Republic of Congo who drowned in a local pond just days after he arrived in Idaho after spending 10 years in a refugee camp.
According to the CDC, in the United States alone the number one cause of death for children ages 1 to 4 is drowning. The most vulnerable to drowning are Black and Brown communities who face the barrier of expensive costs of swim lessons in under-resourced communities.
However, refugee families are even more in danger of drowning due to language and cultural barriers. According to the International Organization for Migration,(IOM) drowning is the leading cause of death for migrants, accounting for 60% of deaths since 2014.
Considering these daunting numbers, the RISE program provides a need for children who had little to no control over their lives and circumstances.
“When they learn something new you can really tell they take it to heart. I love how they always want me to see and affirm, they’re so passionate, energetic and it's clear that they love what they’re doing” said the Hilal sister’s swim instructor.
For their mother, Khulood Hilal, seeing and knowing that her girls can swim confidently and joyfully comes with reassurance.
“My kids have become more confident in themselves,” said Khulood. “Whenever we go to the sea or some other place, I worry about them; they don’t know how to swim. I used to live in fear. The sea can be dangerous, but now I have confidence in them. I’m not afraid anymore, they love the sea.”
The YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap Counties hopes to grow this program across our association to meet the growing needs of immigrant and refugee families looking for opportunities for their children to grow in their new country.
If you are interested in supporting this program or know of a refugee family who could benefit from learning to swim, please contact the Gordon Family YMCA.