Kimberly Sepuesca grew up in the populous city of Manila, with the beach a five-hour drive away.
She never learned to swim, and while the idea of going on a canoe trip left her feeling nervous and excited, she is determined to normalise being in and around the water for her two-year-old daughter, Savannah.
Kimberley, who has been in New Zealand for seven years, was one of 18 participants to attend a trip with the Wilderness Canoe Trust last month.
The event was funded through the Ethnic Communities Development Fund. As well as the Philippines, the trip included people who originally hailed from Hong Kong, Russia, the Czech Republic, Vietnam, Cambodia, Germany and Sri Lanka.
The boats set sail from Stephens Bay, first doing a 20-minute loop out on the water, before a longer second run took the participants to beaches further afield.
Motueka community coordinator for Multicultural Nelson Tasman Sez Fyfe says that many of our migrants are scared of water because they cannot swim.
“Living now in such a beautiful place, close to the sea and rivers, some felt sad and disappointed that they weren’t making the most of living here,” she says.
Afterwards, they spoke of having had a “wonderful adventure”.
As for Savannah, Kimberly does not have to worry too much about her fear of water being passed on to her daughter.
The toddler screamed to get to the water’s edge before playing happily in the shallows, supervised by Sez, as the paddlers headed off on their adventure.
