Ten children from Good Shepherd primary school received 13 pairs of swimfins last Tuesday as part of a development programme which teaches learners how to play water polo.

The fins, serving as streamlined floatation devices, were sponsored by the fundraising organisation My School. St Andrews College, in collaboration with the Rhodes University Aquatics Committee, has developed a water polo development  programme for the learners of Good Shepherd.

The programme, which is part of a larger development initiative involving other sports and academic activities, has been running since 2007.

“Some of the learners have been doing it for three or four years now, and are learning to play water polo with the help of the St Andrews first team,” said Jason Sileno, water polo coach for Rhodes and St Andrews.

“The programme uses a swim buddy system, whereby a St Andrews boy is partnered with a Good Shepherd boy, and they work together every week to build skills and essentially develop a friendship through sport and community outreach,” said Sileno.

The boys play water polo once a week, but are trying to push it up to twice a week. “The team will be playing in the local league by the end of the year,” said Sileno. “It’s been a long road, but we are trying to raise more money,” Sileno said.

The water polo development club is looking for sponsors to acquire more fins and water polo equipment and the Rhodes Aquatics Committee will also be running the Two Oceans Marathon on 3 April
to raise more money for the project.