Appreciating water safety volunteers who have saved over 250 lives

03/11/2016 – Gampaha, Sri Lanka: The Sri Lanka Red Cross Society’s Gampaha Branch recently felicitated 3 volunteers who work as water safety instructors and who have saved over 250 lives during their service to the society recently.

The Water Safety Volunteer Appreciation Programme facilitated B. A. Shashika Samantha, G. M A. D. Chandana Priyantha and A. A. Siwantha Anuruddha for their commendable service to the society. They currently operate as Water Safety Instructor trainers at the SLRCS Gampaha branch through their Water Safety programme.

The water safety programme was set up in response to the 2004 tsunami. It has a theme of timely response to disasters and preparedness – and volunteers are the foundation behind its success. From October 2007 to date, the volunteers have saved a remarkable 5000 lives.

Trained by the Japanese Red Cross and later supported by Singapore Red Cross over 40 Sri Lanka Red Cross Society volunteers from Gampaha District – on the country’s west coast – are now proficient in basic and advanced life-saving techniques and swimming. The Gampaha branch has conducted a series of training programmes, and refresher courses and have written, printed and distributed 8000 textbooks on water safety in Sri Lanka.

The Chairman of the Gampaha Branch Anton Victoria, Branch Executive Officer of SLRCS Gampaha Branch Ruwan Abeywardena along with the Focal Point for Humanitarian Values Tula De Silva were present at the event.