After the indoor pool was closed in Karlsfeld: no more seahorses for refugee children
Created: 06/12/2022, 07:00
By: Verena Moeckl
Urgently needed swimming lessons: The girls Stefania, Silvia and Laura (from left) learn from Karin Boger how not to drown in the water.
© vm
It is still uncertain how the Karlsfeld indoor pool will continue after its closure.
This not only worries the swimming department of TSV Eintracht Karlsfeld, but also the circle of helpers.
Karlsfeld – It has been almost two months since the municipality of Karlsfeld delivered the bad news: the indoor pool will remain closed indefinitely.
It's a dilemma for water sports enthusiasts like synchronized swimmers (we reported).
But the Eintracht mermaids are not the only ones for whom the closure has serious consequences.
In times when more and more refugees are coming to Karlsfeld, the volunteers of the helper group are also concerned about the closed indoor pool.
"I'm very unhappy," says Karin Boger.
The Karlsfeld native founded the swimming department at TSV 51 years ago and gave swimming lessons.
Since the refugee movement seven years ago, she has been involved with the Karlsfeld support group and has been giving
swimming courses for refugee children since 2019
.
Around 30 of them have learned to swim in the Karlsfeld indoor pool.
A Ukrainian boy is also among them.
Interruptions harm the learning process
Actually, even more children of primary school age would wear their seahorses on their bathing suits, but swimming lessons were interrupted again due to the closure of the indoor pool.
Boger is frustrated.
"Nothing is moving forward.
We're up in the air," complains the 82-year-old.
"It is a hindrance to learning success if there are long breaks in between." The children fall behind again.
For the volunteer swimming teacher, this means that she cannot continue seamlessly, but has to start almost from scratch.
Training in other pools rather unlikely
It is uncertain when she will be able to resume training with the children.
According to Mayor Stefan Kolbe, there is still no new information as to when the indoor pool will reopen.
She thinks it is unlikely that Boger will be able to teach the children in another swimming pool in the Dachau district - for example in the pools in Dachau or Indersdorf.
"I'm afraid we won't succeed in being able to swim anywhere else."
Parents often cannot practice with their children
Boger looks to the future with concern when good weather in summer lures families to the Waldschwaigsee, Karlsfelder See or to the outdoor pool.
“The fear is always there when children cannot swim.
Then there is danger to life.” The situation is particularly threatening for children whose parents do not practice swimming with them.
Boger warns that children who have fled are particularly affected.
"The parents often can't swim themselves." Or their culture forbids the parents to go to the pool with the children, she says.
"Swimming is for life."
Karin Boger, volunteer swimming teacher
That's why TSV Eintracht Karlsfeld, together with Caritas and the volunteer group, decided to offer free swimming lessons for refugee children.
Karin Boger receives training support from
Magdalena Heizenreder
from the swimming department and
Hadi Housseni
from Caritas.
As reported, Housseni has started training as a lifeguard at the outdoor pool in Dachau.
However, he could not complete this because he no longer had a work permit due to his unresolved right of residence.
Since then, he has been working as a volunteer cultural interpreter at Caritas and accompanies other asylum seekers on visits to the doctor or authorities.
The mission of Hadi Housseni, Magdalena Heizenreder and Karin Boger: They want to take away the fear of water from the children of refugees.
For Karin Boger, swimming is much more than just staying afloat.
"Swimming is for life."
