Girls learning to swim in Zanzibar, an island where the majority of girls never do — Photo story

In this year's exhibition of the World Press Photo contest, one of the most compelling series of photographs came from Zanzibar, of a group of girls learning to swim. Anna Boyiazis, an American documentary photographer, captured these girls during their swimming lessons; submerged in a startlingly clear turquoise blue sea they wear colourful full-length swimsuits, thanks to an initiative called the Panje Project. 

This article in National Geographic showcases the series of photos, and provides context.

Daily life centers around the sea, yet the vast majority of Zanzibari girls never learn to swim. An estimated 98 percent of the population is Muslim. Conservative Islamic culture and the absence of modest swimwear have discouraged girls from swimming. Until the Panje Project, that is.

The project has made it possible for local women and girls to get into the water in swimsuits that mean they don't have to compromise their cultural and religious beliefs. And that's not all: as well as learning swimming skills the girls also learn aquatic safety and drowning prevention techniques. The students have also been empowered to teach others, making it a sustainable cycle of learning and teaching.

Boyiazis was particularly interested in the mission of the Panje Project, which intersects around human rights, public health, and women and girls issues. Her photos document these issues through the story of the swimming lessons.