Finding freedom in the water: Gaza’s swimming teacher
Amjed Tantesh’s enduring mission to teach Gazan children to swim, no matter the odds.
From a refugee camp in Rafah, Amjed Tantesh is determined to resume giving swimming lessons as soon as the war is over. We first spoke to Amjed a year ago about his passion for the water and ambition to train the next generation of Gazan Olympic hopefuls, but as he rebuilt pool after pool, over decades of conflict, his swimming initiative found its true purpose – helping children heal from their trauma. In this programme we hear how drastically Amjed's life has changed since the most recent war began and why he considers it ‘a no-escape duty’ for him to restart his swimming initiative to try to help Gaza’s children recover from all they've lived through.
This is an update to Amjed’s story, which we first covered in March 2023.
Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producer: Louise Morris
Interpreter: Youssef Taha
Additional recording: Enas Tantesh
Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707
(Photo: Amjed Tantesh and his children in their self-built tent in a refugee camp in Rafah, southern Gaza. Credit: Amjed Tantesh)
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- Wed 24 Apr 2024 11:06GMTÂ鶹ԼÅÄ World Service
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