On 'Burkini Island' Muslim Girls Can Finally Learn to Swim
Full-length swimsuits and lessons allow schoolgirls in Zanzibar to learn aquatic safety and experience being in the ocean.
In Zanzibar, an island off the coast of Tanzania, daily life centers around the sea, yet the vast majority of Zanzibari girls never learn to swim. An estimated 98% of the population is Muslim. Conservative Islamic culture and the absence of modest swimwear have discouraged girls from swimming. Until the Panje Project, that is.
“Panje” is a Swahili word that translates roughly to “big fish.” For the past few years, the Panje Project has made it possible for local women and girls to get into the water, not only teaching them swimming skills but aquatic safety and drowning prevention techniques. The group has empowered its students to teach others, creating a sustainable cycle. And has also provided them with
