Rugby player, Andries Ferreira and his wife Inette Ferreira decided to do things a little different this year for their daughter, Lea’s third birthday party …
They teamed up with their local swim school and offered all the kids a swimming demo to promote water safety and swimming education!
We had a quick chat with him about this clever idea and his latest business venture.
Why is teaching the youth of today how to swim important to you?
There are so many devastating stories about babies and young kids that drown each year and because we have children of our own it is something very close to our hearts. Our girls love swimming and it is a fun activity to do together with friends and family.
Why did you decide to team up with Kiddies Aqua Swimming Academy for Lea’s 3rd birthday?
They are absolutely the best in the business when it comes to teaching young children the basics of swimming. Their outlook on the educational aspects and overall benefits of swimming is so refreshing and the way Lizette and her team work with the kids demonstrated just how much they love what they do and that they definitely are doing it for the right reasons.
Why was this swimming demonstration beneficial to the little ones that attended this special day?
Swimming is a life skill. Drowning is the leading cause of death for children under the age of five. Every 85 seconds a child under the age of five drowns in the world. In South Africa, it is three children every day. 90 per cent of all drownings could have been prevented and teaching children to swim from an early age is one of the preventative measures that a parent can take. Children not only love the water but the parents are always alert as to where their children are when they are near pools, rivers and dams. The sad reality is that a child can drown in 5cm of water, even in a water puddle or water bucket. There are a shocking amount of near-drowning incidents in South Africa every day of which three are fatal.
What is it about swimming that your kids enjoy the most?
It’s a fun family activity that we do together and they love jumping into the pool and just having a blast! As they become more skilled in the water, their confidence becomes more apparent too.
As a professional rugby player, you’ve recently embarked on a new business venture. Tell us about your coffee brand?
Our coffee brand Life’s a Grind is something we as South Africans can associate with because we all have our own daily struggles, and we have a mission statement saying ‘we aspire to inspire one cup at a time’ meaning that from your first sip to the last sip we want you to relax, take a breather from the daily struggle, and remind yourself that you got this.
What was the highlight of the day?
“It was a fun day for all – whilst the kiddies enjoyed their swimming demonstration from Kiddies Aqua Swimming Academy, the parents, family and friends were all treated to ‘Life’s a Grind’ coffee, delicious macaroons and snacks and of course, great conversation. The kids definitely enjoyed eating all the sweets and Lea’s favourite was her Lay-licious cake.
What can we expect going forward from Andries Ferreria?
I am incredibly passionate about the business-world and I am always looking for an opportunity to grow our Life’s a Grind brand and get involved in something bigger. I also aim to spread the word as to why swimming is important and encourage parents to teach their children to ‘learn to swim.’
A few pictures of the birthday party:
Photographer: Nina De Villiers
