From floating atop waters with a snorkel and mask to complete immersion with a tank of oxygen is a very special achievement for the 11 Stairway scholars who received their open water dive certification
Scuba For Change Puerto Galera, Philippines has continued it’s work to offer training and education to local children.
Working with the Stairway Foundation, an NGO that works to help disadvantaged children, Scuba For Change PADI MSDT Karl Marchant, PADI Divemaster Julienne Evangelista and helped by Divemaster Trainees Mark & Zac, took 11 students in two groups through the PADI Scuba Diver course in April.
Part of the Stairway Foundation’s work is the EACY program, (Environmental Awareness for Children and Youths) much like PADI Project Aware.
The EACY program gets young students from Puerto Galera out on the Stairway boat to see by snorkelling and learn about the importance of the marine environment including seagrass, mangroves and of course coral reefs.
The intention of training the kids as PADI divers is to allow them to really appreciate the underwater world and become ambassadors for the local community to effect change in attitudes towards their own endangered environments.
Included in the group were 4 indigenous Mangyan children and as far as we know they are the first Mangyans to obtain scuba diving licences!
Scuba For Change is a not for profit social enterprise with their single goal being to improve the lives and futures for all local children.
This is certainly another great effort towards this goal.
In the next weeks SFC will be hosting the 2016 Change For Children event where these Stairway Scholars will continue their Open Water training sponsored by Scuba For Change and affiliates
Reprinted from Scuba for Change