By Jessica Lawson | Co-founder
Dear Friends,
Summer is officially here and the pool at The Mariposa Center for Girls is full of little butterflies splashing around!
Swimming lessons are an integral part of our programs because they empower girls to safely enjoy the beautiful natural resources in their community.
In Cabarete, water sports are a huge part of the local economy. Tourists flock to the beaches, rivers and lagoons to surf, kiteboard, wind surf, paddleboard and sail. Local Dominican and Haitian girls are often left feeling ostracized from their own community because they do not know how to swim. Just imagine how isolating it would feel to grow up in a tropical beach town, never having access to a swimming pool and fearing the ocean!
At the center, girls have a safe and private space to learn the critical life skill of swimming but also water safety. eaching them how to be safe and how to ensure the safety of others is empowerment. Many of our older Mariposas participate in water safety and basic life-guarding training where they learn how to know if someone is drowning and needs help, basic rescue techniques and how to get out of a rip-tide when swimming in the ocean.
Several Mariposa graduates have become certified life guards and now work at the center teaching swim lessons and water sports.
Our pool is the center of our home. It helps girls learn to stay safe, builds strength and endurance, improves mental health, increases confidence and so much more. Having our very own pool at our center is not a luxury, it's an absolute necessity. Swimming opens up a whole new world to these girls and once they feel comfortable in the water, they don't want to get out!
Thank you for helping us provide this critical resource to keep our Mariposa girls swimming!
In gratitude,
The Mariposas
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