Outdoor Afro

My name is Dan Kihanya and I believe everyone deserves to feel safety, freedom, and joy around water. For me, water has always been a place of peace and possibility. I support Making Waves because they turn that possibility into reality for Black children and their families by teaching life-saving swim and water skills one new swimmer at a time.

Since 2019, Making Waves has provided more than 7,000 scholarships for children and caregivers to learn essential swim skills. By partnering with Outdoor Afro, these programs also connect families to the outdoors through fishing, kayaking, hiking, and more—building confidence and community while keeping people safe near water. This work matters because learning to swim is not only a life-saving skill but a pathway to freedom and joyful experiences that should be available to every family.

I am proud to support Outdoor Afro and Making Waves because their programs create lasting change: safer kids, empowered caregivers, and stronger connections to nature. Your support helps fund scholarships, equipment, and instruction so more Black children and families can access water safely and confidently.

Please join me in supporting this vital work. Your donation will directly help Outdoor Afro and Making Waves teach life-saving skills, open doors to outdoor experiences, and bring more safety, freedom, and joy to families around water.

Since 2019, Making Waves has been on a mission to provide life-saving swim scholarships to over 7,000 children and caregivers. Inspired by the incredible work of Outdoor Afro, we recognize the importance of ensuring that more Black children and their families learn essential water skills. Swimming is not just a fun activity; it’s a vital safety skill that can save lives.

With your generous support, we can cover the full cost of swim lessons, allowing families to reclaim their legacy and build a joyful, safe relationship with water. Every contribution makes a difference, empowering our community and fostering connections between Black families and the water.

Join us in this important endeavor. Together, we can ensure that every child has the opportunity to learn to swim and thrive. Thank you for being a part of this vital mission and for supporting our community.

I’m Kasim Carter, and I’m raising funds because I have seen firsthand how confidence in the water opens up so many possibilities. Whether it is fishing at a quiet lake, paddling a kayak at sunrise, or spending a carefree day at the beach with family, the ability to swim safely makes those simple joys possible and lasting. I believe every child and caregiver should have the chance to feel that freedom and security around water.

Since 2019, Making Waves has provided thousands of swim scholarships, and Outdoor Afro has been connecting Black communities with our lands and waters through outdoor education and recreation. Together they are teaching life-saving swim and water skills while building a deeper relationship with nature. For families who have previously lacked access to lessons or safe swimming opportunities, these programs are transformative: they reduce risk, build confidence, and create new pathways to outdoor experiences.

Your support helps fund scholarships and programs that teach essential water safety and swimming skills, and it strengthens Outdoor Afro’s year-round work connecting Black people to fishing, kayaking, and other outdoor activities. By investing in these programs we are helping more children and caregivers discover the joy and freedom of being safe in and around water.

Please join me in giving the gift of swimming and water safety to our community. Your donation will help more Black children and their families learn life-saving skills and enjoy the outdoors with confidence.

When Bryson Sutton came to one of our Outdoor Afro events, every kid jumped in the pool except him. He stood on the sidelines—scared and unable to swim. I could not let that go. That moment reminded me how a history of exclusion from pools and beaches has left Black children far more at risk around water.

That is why we created Making Waves. Since 2019, Making Waves and Outdoor Afro have awarded more than 7,000 Swimmerships—swim lesson scholarships—for children and caregivers to learn life-saving skills. I still remember Bryson’s first cannonball. He beamed with pride and confidence, and his family told me how different he felt after learning to swim.

Now we are scaling up to reach even more families so that no child has to watch from the edge. Outdoor Afro celebrates and inspires Black connections with nature, and Making Waves ensures those connections are safe by teaching critical water skills. Every Swimmership changes a life and helps break a harmful legacy of exclusion.

Please join me in supporting Making Waves and Outdoor Afro programs. Your donation will fund swim lessons for children and caregivers, build confidence, and save lives. Give today and help us make more Brysons.