PADI Dive Training for 2 Amigos de Sian Ka’an Staff
Global Partnerships are the heart of GVI’s primary objectives. One of our long-term and biggest partners in Pez Maya is Amigos de Sian Ka’an. You can find out more about their work here. The week of 6th February, Pez Maya staff members went to Playa del Carmen to meet up with two members of Amigos de Sian Ka’an, Alejandro and Jethro. After the heartwarming and friendship-building introductions, the team went to a nearby pool to immediately begin their PADI Open Water Diver Course, starting with practical skill development.
After practical assessment and knowledge development in the pool, everyone went back to Pez Maya to continue the course.The second portion of the Open Water Course entails practical assessment in the ocean itself. Jethro and Alejandro were ecstatic, ready and raring to go and progress with their training. Despite tumultuous and rocking seas, the smiles never left their faces during it all! The passion and enthusiasm they demonstrated was infectious, and everyone at Pez Maya was inspired by Jethro and Alejandro.
The two days that they spent in Pez Maya were eye-opening, awe-inspiring, and heavily beneficial for our staff members and volunteers. Not only did we get to meet members of one of our global partners and learn about everything that they, it as also a great opportunity for cross-cultural education! Jethro and Alejandro were immediately part of the group- helping with duties, laughing and sharing stories with volunteers, and most importantly, after various trials and tribulations, they received their PADI Open Water certifications.
Dive Insurance
For already certified divers at Amigos de Sian Ka’an, it is imperative that they have dive insurance so that they can continue their work. These divers carry out research work on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef and they need to be covered in the event of an emergency.
The Impact
Local participation is key to ensure the success of the project in Pez Maya. By providing access to key skills and essential resources, we contribute to the local capacity building and increase the number of people that take real action in Marine Conservation.
The donation was used as follows:
MX$2560.13 Open Water PADI Training for 2 Amigos de Sian Ka’an Staff
MX$2494.8 2 PADI Materials Packs for the Open Water Dive Course
MX$9632.37 DAN Dive Insurance for 5 Amigos de Sian Ka’an Staff for 1 year
