In the presence of the Princess herself, the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation recently hosted a morning of drowning prevention workshops at the Grimaldi Forum for more than 300 schoolchildren from the Principality. The event taught the young pupils how to use emergency equipment and perform vital first aid techniques as well as understand the importance of water safety awareness at all ages.

It is estimated that 230,000 people lose their lives to drowning each year. Since its inception more than a decade ago, the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation has, under the leadership of its namesake founder, worked to combat this tragic statistic by organising and supporting water safety events and initiatives worldwide, including in the Principality.

As part of these efforts, on Friday 22nd November, Princess Charlene joined 310 schoolchildren aged five and six at the Grimaldi Forum in Larvotto for an educational morning focused on water safety and drowning prevention.

The Cours Préparatoire students were taught essential first aid techniques and were introduced to basic emergency equipment that can help save lives. This special event, spearheaded by the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation in collaboration with the Department of National Education, Youth and Sports, Monaco City Hall, the Monaco Red Cross, the local Maritime and Airport Police Division, the Monaco Fire Brigade and the Monaco Academy of the Sea, aimed to equip children with crucial skills for staying safe in and around water. These lessons were delivered through fun and engaging activities and workshops.

The children also enjoyed a reading of La Magie de l’Eau (The Magic of Water) by its author, Mélinda Guery, and Sandrine Raymond Lucarini, the patroness of the La Magie de l’Eau association. At the end of the event, each child went home with a copy of the book, as well as goodies such as a bathing cap and a winter beanie bearing the Foundation’s colours.

To see more photographs of the event, click on the images below:

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Photo credit: Eric Mathon / Palais Princier de Monaco