A diving program led by the community in R. Inguraidhoo has successfully certified 17 young individuals after they finished a free diving training course designed to expose local youth to prospects in the diving sector.

The training was led by seasoned diving expert Ahmed Sameer, who has over 20 years in the field, along with his brother Adil Khalid, a diving instructor with more than ten years of experience.

Held in May, the training offered attendees the chance to obtain globally acknowledged diving certifications for free.

All 17 students who joined the program successfully finished the course and obtained their certifications.

The brothers stated that the initiative was initiated to give back to the community and promote increased youth engagement in the diving field.

Sameer observed that there has been a significant rise in interest in diving among the youth of Inguraidhoo in recent years due to comparable training programs offered to students from the island.

The participants finished the PSS Open Water Diver program, with younger students aged 10 to 12 obtaining Junior Level certification, which permits them to dive to a maximum depth of 12 metres following the appropriate certification standards.

The brothers mentioned that complete insurance coverage was organized for all participants during the event.

The course wrapped up with hands-on diving experiences with the students at some of the atoll's most famous dive locations.

The initiative was financed by the personal donations of the two siblings, who managed several operational costs, such as the expenses for refilling diving tanks at a local resort's diving centre.

After the course's successful conclusion, Sameer mentioned that plans are in progress to assist participants wishing to seek advanced certifications.

Discussions are underway to extend similar training programs to youth from additional islands in the atoll.