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LEARNING TO SWIM, TANZANIA

Swim instructor Chema, 17, snaps her fingers as she disappears underwater in Nungwi, Zanzibar. Traditionally, girls in Zanzibar Archipelago have been discouraged from learning how to swim, largely due to the absence of modest swimwear. But in villages on the northern tip of Zanzibar, the Panje Project (panje translates as ‘big fish’) is providing opportunities for local women and girls to learn life saving swim skills in full-length swimsuits, so that they can enter the water without compromising their cultural or religious beliefs. Globally, more than 236,000 people fatally drown (World Health Organization), and in areas where traditional religious culture is prevalent, like Zanzibar, many girls never learn basic swimming skills. 2016.

Anna Boyiazis is an American documentary photographer based between Southern California and East Africa. Committed to healing and liberation, her focus is on human rights, public health, and women and girls’ issues. Her ongoing project, “Finding Freedom in the Water” was first published by National Geographic and has been recognized globally.

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Girls on the Brink Exhibition
Swim instructor Chema, 17, snaps her fingers as she disappears underwater in Nungwi, Zanzibar. Traditionally, girls in Zanzibar Archipelago have been discouraged from learning how to swim, largely due to the absence of modest swimwear. But in villages on the northern tip of Zanzibar, the Panje Project (panje translates as ‘big fish’) is providing opportunities for local women and girls to learn life saving swim skills in full-length swimsuits, so that they can enter the water without compromising their cultural or religious beliefs. Globally, more than 236,000 people fatally drown (World Health Organization), and in areas where traditional religious culture is prevalent, like Zanzibar, many girls never learn basic swimming skills. 2016.<br /> <br /> Anna Boyiazis is an American documentary photographer based between Southern California and East Africa. Committed to healing and liberation, her focus is on human rights, public health, and women and girls’ issues. Her ongoing project, “Finding Freedom in the Water” was first published by National Geographic and has been recognized globally.
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