Project Background
The objective of the project was to provide training and resources to 3 community youth leaders to support their work in providing weekly surf classes to over 150 Afro-Colombian youth on the Pacific coast of Colombia.
The training was to equip them to be leaders in their communities and to impart their knowledge to young surfers in their communities in a safe and secure environment. A secondary objective the purchase of a small boat so that the trainers will be able to travel to nearby villages that are only accessible by boat and take their classes to more young children of Chocó.
A further outcome of the training and purchase of the boat was to allow the local surfers to generate income by offering surf related services to tourists.
Project Activities
On 30 December Nestor Tello, Piter Valencia and Santiago Mosquera travelled from their village of Termales to Lima, the capital of Peru. In Lima the President of Peruvian Surfing Federation hosted them. For the first 4 days they completed work experience at the Latin Surf School. Working as surf instructors they gained experience teaching tourists the basics of surfing. They also learnt the behind the scenes challenges of running a surf school such as pricing lessons and board rental, maintaining equipment and providing good client service.This work contributed the mandatory 20 hours of work experience that is necessary to earn the ISA Level 1 Surf Instructor certification.
Following the days of work experience they then spent a day with professional surfer Anali Gomez. Anali shared her knowledge and experience of what it takes to forge a career in surfing. Anali has previously visited the surf club in Termales and this was a valuable opportunity to strengthen that relationship and learn from one of the best female surfers. The remainder of the trip was dedicated to completing the Lifesaving and First Aid courses run by the Peruvian Surfing Federation.
The course was attended by around 20 other young Peruvian surfers and lifesavers. It was a great opportunity for our young trainers to not only learn an invaluable skill and a mandatory component of the ISA Level 1 Surf Instructor course but to also mix with young surfers from Peru. The Peruvians were surprised to see surfers from Colombia and were amazed to here about the story of the Chocó Surf Club. The course was intense and the first day was physically demanding with a lot of fitness work. The course covered areas such as rescuing a person in the water with and without a board, resuscitation, reading beach conditions and basic first aid.
The course was completed with a written exam and a physical test. All three of our instructors passed their tests and finished in the top 5 in each category. We are extremely proud of these results. Furthermore, having completed the 20 hours of work experience and the lifesaving and first aid courses our young trainers are now the first ever, and the only, certified surf instructors in Colombia. This is a massive achievement. The young trainers returned to Colombia on the 10th of December with lots of new knowledge, friendships and stories.
On the 28th of December they organised an end of year Surf Festival to celebrate their return but also to present the new boat to the Club members and share their stories and new knowledge with all the young surfers. Using the new boat they visited 3 of the local communities and transported members of the Club back to Termales for the Festival and then transported everybody home at night. Around 170 boys and girls attended the event plus a large number of parents. The event was a major success and the first time that the Club has been able to incorporate all of the surfers into one event thanks to the transport that the boat provides.
Project Outcomes
Now that surf classes have resumed the instructors are incorporating what they learned on their courses into the daily classes. Safety lessons are now being included along with the basics of how to read the beach and how to paddle and stand up for the youngest members. The young instructors were surprised about how seriously safety was taken in Peru and they have made it a priority to get their club up to the same standard.
The local community, particularly the local Mayor has begun to support the Club in a more tangible way since the trip to Peru. For the Festival in December the Mayor provided free gasoline for the boat and also money to buy refreshments for all the surf club members.
Additionally, the 3 instructors have been invited to participate in a Government-to-Government project between Colombia and Costa Rica to improve the surf industry in the Municipality of Nuqui where Termales is located. This will involve an exchange program between Nuqui in Colombia and Jaco in Costa Rica. We believe this will be a real game changer for the region and thanks to the training our instructors have received in Peru they will be at the forefront of this change and best positioned to take advantage of the work opportunities that will come from this.
Finally, with the addition of the motorboat the surf club is preparing to receive tourists during the next tourist season, which begins around May 2017. This will allow them to begin to generate income using their surfing knowledge and skills.
What's Next?
The 3 instructors are now keen to complete their level 2 Surf Instructor qualifications and also complete the Surf Judges course. On a local level they are committed to expanding their surf classes to include more young surfers from Chocó and spread the benefits of surfing to a wider audience in Chocó. Having had such amazing experiences through surfing they want others in their communities to experience the same.
Can I Visit This Project?
The Club would love to host you. You would have to commit to taking surf classes though, but that would be our shout of course!
Background on the project
The three communities where we currently work, Termales, Partado and Arusi, are located on the Pacific Coast of Colombia in the Municipality of Nuqui. This is an area that has been heavily affected by the violence and drug trade that have afflicted Colombia in the past decades.
The communities are remote with no access roads and lack many of the basic needs such as clean drinking water, electricity, communications and medical attention. Employment and educational opportunities are limited. Chocó is recognised as the poorest Department in Colombia with an average life expectancy 20 years less than the national average and an infant mortality rate 4 times the national average. Government presence and services are non-existent.
About Fundacion Buen Punto
The program began with the objective of providing alternate life opportunities for Afro Colombian youth who were vulnerable to being lured into illegal activities and gangs. Many of the kids in the surf program have witnessed first hand the violence that has plagued this region in the past. The opportunity to share the waves with their friends is the highlight of their week and the basis of their dreams. Whereas before many had no hopes for their future, today all dream of one day becoming Champion surfers.
Surf Classes teach the benefits of physical activity and exercise associated with the art of surfing. The kids in the classes also learn the Foundation’s core values of respect, discipline and tolerance as well as the importance of respecting and caring for the ocean and environment. Though we know that we cannot change every kids future we do know that for a few hours a week we can bring a smile to the face of boys and girls who deserve nothing less.
The objective of the project is to provide training and resources to community youth leaders to support their work in providing weekly surf classes to over 150 Afro Colombian youth on the Pacific coast of Colombia. Of these 150 approximately 50% are girls and 80% are aged between the ages of 4 and 12.
Three surf instructors will travel to Costa Rica to complete their International Surfing Association (ISA) Level 1 Surf Instructor Course, First Aid Course and Lifesaving Course. The first part of the ISA course was completed in October of 2015. Once fully accredited the three trainers will be the first Accredited Surf Instructors in Colombia. Upon return to Colombia they will be responsible for implementing weekly classes in three villages for over 150 youth. The training they receive will equip them to be leaders in their communities and to impart their knowledge to the young surfers of Chocó in a safe and secure environment.
Additionally, with the purchase of a small boat the trainers will be able to travel to nearby villages that are only accessible by boat and take their classes to more young children of Chocó. We aim to increase the number of participants in the program to 500.
A further outcome of the training and purchase of a boat is that this will allow the local surfers to generate income by offering surf related services to tourists. This will include surf lessons, guided tours to surf waves in the area and transport to and from hotels. In an area with no roads or vehicular access a boat is a valuable asset. Not only can it provide a valuable revenue source it is also essential for accessing medical care in the event of an accident or emergency.
What’s covered in the project costs
Training - Firstly the costs associated with sending three trainers to Costa Rica to complete the ISA Level 1 Surf Instructor Course, First Aid Course and Lifesaving Course. Costs covered include flights, course fees, accommodation and food.
Boat - The second funding objective is for a small motorboat that will provide transport to members of the surf club and the local community. This boat will allow us to take classes to more youth, provide transport in case of an emergency and help generate income for the local community through tourism related activities such as taking tourists to surf various waves in the region.
First Aid - The final funding objective is obtaining a comprehensive first aid kit to place in each of the three villages where classes are currently taught so that classes can continue to be taught in a safe environment. One of the great strengths of this project is that it is community led. Nestor Tello, one of four Directors of the Fundacion Buen Punto, is a native of Termales. Nestor is responsible for implementing all of the Foundation’s activities on the ground. The Foundation’s role has been to provide Nestor and the communities that he works in with all the resources that they need to build sustainable surf clubs that impact as many boys and girls as possible. The success of the project, now in its fourth year, is in large part to this community led focus, which has created a sense of ownership and pride in the communities for what they have achieved for themselves.
In keeping with the focus on community empowerment and leadership it is our objective that one day the project be completely self-sustaining and community managed. The training of the youth leaders and the purchase of a motorboat is a major step in achieving this goal. Local youth will become the owners and leaders of this community led surf school once they are equipped with the skills and knowledge that the training will provide them. The surf classes will also provide a platform for the training and employment of more local young people as instructors that can then take the sport to even more local communities.
