From 23rd-30th August 2026, people around the world took part in the International Swim With Gaza, a global week of solidarity with the children of Tantesh Swimming Academy as they celebrated at their Swimming Carnival which on Tuesday 25th August.

So far we have crowdfunded lessons for over 3,000 children and we want to do much more. Swimming lessons can continue into November as the sea in Gaza stays warm until then. So keep the donations coming. The children have been through so much, many of the children we are funding have been orphaned or hurt in many ways. Your donation makes a difference.

It would be really good if you could help some of these children to have fun in the sea, learn a new skill and see that there is hope for then in this terrible time. Give what you can.

We have also funded the building of the natural pools where the swimming lessons are being held.

Swim with Gaza is a child-driven project inspired and motivated by the free Children Swimming Initiative, headed by Amjed Tantish. Amjed has been teaching children in Gaza to swim since the late 1990’s. All the usual pools have been destroyed so he and his team have build natural pools on the beaches in Gaza that he now uses to teach the children how to swim.

Every child deserves the chance to learn to swim. Swimming is a skill for life that they can carry with them and enjoy for years to come. It brings freedom and moments of happiness that every child should have.

Having survived displacement many times, the children at the swimming school walk from tent camps nearby to get to their lessons

We had 30-40 places around the world doing the solidarity swim in 2023 and 2024. Last year was so horrible we didn’t attempt to have an international swimming event. 

This year everything is quieter and when Amjed Tantish took on the huge task of again teaching hundreds of children we decided to have another International Swim With Gaza. 

700 children completed the swimming course took part in the first swimming carnival in July