There is a long-standing belief in Bangladesh that children growing up near ponds, canals, rivers, and ditches naturally learn to swim. While this may have been partly true in the past, the reality on the ground has drastically shifted. Villages once featured numerous open ponds where children swam regularly under the informal supervision of older siblings, relatives, or neighbours.

Today, many of these ponds have been filled to make way for housing, roads, and infrastructure. Some of the remaining water bodies are used for commercial fish farming, where children are strictly barred, while others are too polluted to use. Children may still live close to water, but they no longer have safe, regular opportunities to learn to swim. Living beside water does not automatically mean knowing how to survive in it.

Survival swimming differs fundamentally from informal swimming. Simply moving through the water is not enough if a child cannot stay afloat, control their breathing, recognise danger, or exit safely.

These are critical skills that must be taught systematically by trained instructors in a safe environment. Similarly, safe rescue requires specific knowledge and technique.