thestory

The Story

Drowning is a leading cause of death among children in low-and-middle-income countries in Asia. It is estimated that upward of 400,000 people drown every year. It is a major public health issue in Indonesia, the world’s 4th most populous country. It is often called an invisible issue.

Swimdo is working to change that.

Our mission is to protect and enrich the lives of children through aquatic education. Our team is made up of international and local professionals that have years of experience in swim instruction, CPR, water safety, oceanography, and community development.

Here at Swimdo, we seek to revolutionize the way Indonesia addresses child drowning.

Swimming in Indonesia = Swim in Indo = Swimdo

programs

Our Programs

Survival Swimming

For children ages five to nine, survival swimming education is essential. That is why Swimdo has teamed up with The Royal Life Saving Society of Australia to create a unique curriculum that makes learning essential survival skills both fun and easy!

Water Safety Education

Children need to know the dangers of water in order to be protected from them. That is why Swimdo works to educate children of all ages about drowning. Our local team visits schools to give water safety presentations every week. In this way, we hope to educate and protect students in our community.

CPR and Safe Save Techniques

CPR and Safe-Save techniques are tools that promote safety and confidence while enabling potential first-responders to act immediately if a drowning event occurs. CPR and Safe-Save lessons are given to local staff, instructors, and students.

Daycare

Supervision is key in preventing child drowning. That is why Swimdo has teamed up with Ransel Buku in order to provide children with safe places to play and learn while their parents are at work. Swimdo aims to open day cares throughout Indonesia.

Research

Data regarding the true rate of drowning in the developing world is extremely limited. Swimdo is working to change that by conducting drowning-based surveys throughout Indonesia. In this way we hope to contribute to the global statistics regarding the issue.
about

Who We Are

Seamus Pettigrew

Seamus Pettigrew

Founder View Details
Neal From

Neal From

Executive Director View Details
Dylan Sohngen

Dylan Sohngen

Director of Research View Details
Tim Seiwerath

Tim Seiwerath

Development Manager View Details
Tomi Kadek Cakra Kencana

Tomi Kadek Cakra Kencana

Local Coordinator View Details
Indirah Made Santi

Indirah Made Santi

Local Coordinator View Details
Seamus Pettigrew

Seamus Pettigrew

Founder An avid surfer from San Francisco, California, Seamus has traveled the world in pursuit of the best swells – ultimately leading him to making Bali his home. Seamus founded Swimdo in 2015, after noticing a ubiquitous lack of swimming education in the local communities – especially among children.In the summer months, Seamus can be found in New York, where he works as a U.S. Coast Guard Licensed Captain. In the winter, you can find Seamus in Bali where he spends his time teaching Indonesian children water safety skills.Seamus graduated from the University of Oregon in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology.
Neal From

Neal From

Executive Director A former collegiate swimmer at Colorado College, Neal knows how much impact the opportunity to learn to swim can have on a child. He brings a lifetime of experience as a lifeguard and swim instructor to Swimdo, and has made Indonesia his second home. He believes deeply in Swimdo’s mission and looks forward to a future where every child in Indonesia is given the same opportunity and access to swimming education that he had.Neal has a Bachelor of Arts in English and calls Los Angeles home.
Dylan Sohngen

Dylan Sohngen

Director of Research A Southern California native, Dylan is an experienced waterman with a fondness for natures’ smaller beauties. From lifeguarding the beaches of Los Angeles to hunting new species as an entomologist, he brings to the team an array of experience reflecting passion for the outdoors and an eagerness to share it. Dylan taught children as both an equestrian riding and surf instructor while studying biology at UC San Diego and between tests competed with the university’s champion surf team. In Bali when he’s not in the pool with the kids, he’s surely hunting left barrels or the insects he studies.
Tim Seiwerath

Tim Seiwerath

Development Manager Tim is the founder of yogaforpd.com, a pioneering yoga and fall-prevention program for people with Parkinson’s Disease. A Registered Yoga Teacher and Certified AcroYoga Instructor, he has taught internationally for over a decade to groups as large as 600, including as an invited presenter at Stanford’s Exercise and the Brain Symposium. His specialties include grantwriting, institutional relations, and adapting exercise and safety programs for people of all abilities, from the differently-abled to acrobats. An avid surfer and swimmer, he is honored to share his passion and expertise in the service of Indonesia’s children.
Tomi Kadek Cakra Kencana

Tomi Kadek Cakra Kencana

Local Coordinator Tomi Kencana was born in Keramas, Indonesia. He holds two Bachelors of Arts in Communications and English Translation. In addition to his work with Swimdo, Tomi works at Slukat Learning Center as a student mentor and volunteer manager. He is in charge of Swimdo’s community outreach programs and development. He enjoys taking part in swimming classes, is a Marco Polo champion, and hopes to one day learn to surf.
Indirah Made Santi

Indirah Made Santi

Local Coordinator Indira Santi holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Universitas Udayana. She works heads the International Relations Division at Slukat Learning Center and is ProjectKalpa’s Financial Manager.Indira lives in Keramas, Indoneisa and spends much of her time at the beach. She understands firsthand how important swimming education is for the children of Indonesia – as she too did not know how to swim at a young age.She now serves as the Swimdo Community Outreach Liaison, where she works to ensure that all young people in Keramas can swim, and enjoy the beaches safely
getinvolved

Donate

Swimdo relies on the generosity of our donors to make our mission a reality. No amount is too big or too small to make a difference!
Swimdo is a 501 (c)(3) / 509 (a)(2) organization with tax ID 30-0962654
Interested in volunteering or current openings?

Icon Attribution:
Swim by Wira from the Noun Project
Swim by Alexander Skowalsky from the Noun Project
First Responder by Luis Prado from the Noun Project
Teacher by Piotrek Chuchla from the Noun Project
Survey by Tomas Knopp from the Noun Project