McLean Student Creates Academy In South Africa To Teach Children How To Swim

MCLEAN, VA — An 11th-grade student at The Potomac School in McLean returned to the United States in late January after launching a youth swim academy in Alexandra, South Africa, as part of an effort to help prevent people from drowning in a river that cuts through the densely populated township.

The not-for-profit Alexandra Youth Swim Academy, founded by Sasha Minsky, 17, provides free swim instruction to children aged 7 to 16 in the township, near Johannesburg.

Minsky, a competitive swimmer whose swim team at The Potomac School won the Mid-Atlantic Athletic Conference championships in Bethesda last Friday, saw an opportunity to save lives in one of South Africa’s poorest townships.

After spending more than two years planning the project, Minsky and his father traveled to Alexandra in January for the launch of the swim academy, overseeing the logistics of transporting several boxes filled with swimming equipment from Virginia to South Africa.

The official launch of the swim academy took place on Sunday, Jan. 22. Going forward, the academy will have two-hour teaching sessions each Sunday during the summer months in South Africa, with the goal of seeing the academy continue for years to come.

“Alexandra Youth Swim Academy is a collaborative effort of people who genuinely care for the children of Alexandra and their safety, and who believe that learning to swim is a fundamental part of any child’s upbringing,” Minsky said in a statement. “Drowning deaths are preventable, and it all begins with swim instruction and water safety. Alexandra Youth Swim Academy has an excellent team of professionals in place, and I’m hopeful that we will affect positive change and grow to serve more children and families in South Africa.”

The World Health Organization estimates that 1,500 people drown every year in South Africa, with 90 percent of drownings occurring in low-income communities like Alexandra. More than 30 percent of the victims, according to the WHO, are children under the age of 14.

Before he was born, Minsky said his father's job took him to Johannesburg. Minsky's parents were drawn to the people and culture of South Africa, which is why they chose Nelson Mandela's tribal name, Madiba, as Minsky's middle name when he was born.

When he was searching for a community in need of support for his 8th grade service learning project in 2019, Minsky's parents suggested he consider Alexandra. For that project, Minsky created a program called Uplift Thru Sport. He collected baseball equipment and arranged for it to be shipped to the Alexandra Baseball Club in South Africa.

After finishing his baseball project and starting high school at The Potomac School, Minsky explored what else he could do to help the Alexandra community.

During his baseball equipment project, Minsky met Victor Ngoepe, a professional baseball player from Johannesburg who is part of the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. Minsky stayed in contact with Ngoepe, who moved back to South Africa during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ngoepe introduced Minsky to highly connected people in Alexandra. These people then introduced Minsky to the spiritual leader of the township, Linda Twala. During Zoom calls in 2020, Minsky said that Twala said it was "his dream to teach the kids of Alexandra to swim."

After Twala mentioned the high rate of drowning in the Jukskei River, Minsky knew what his next service project would be.

Alexandra forms part of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality and is located next to the wealthy suburb of Sandton.

The Jukskei River runs through Alexandra, where many young people have drowned because they do not know how to swim, according to Minsky. In December, 15 people from Alexandra died in the Juskei River during a flash flood.

For the swimming academy, Minsky raised $20,000 to get swim equipment to 200 children in Alexandra and is building connections with local groups to turn the project into a long-term program.

Minsky partnered with local schools and organizations. King David High School, one of the top schools in South Africa, is providing use of its eight-lane pool and will transport the children between Alexandra and the swimming pool.

Certified instructors from Aquatics Gauteng, led by Anton Jordaan, are teaching the boys and girls to swim using a Gauteng Department of Education-approved curriculum.

Afrika Tikkun, a group dedicated to empowering the impoverished youth of South Africa, will provide administrative and financial support for the project.

"In a world increasingly focused on self-interests, leaders like Sasha offer a different approach, the high road towards human togetherness," said Marc Lubner, CEO of Afrika Tikkun Group. "We would rather choose their way of outstanding service-driven leadership."