Vulnerable girls’ empowerment via surfing

Context

South Africa is known to be the most unequal country in the world and the children in the marginalized and impoverished communities are struggling daily for survival. On average, one woman or girl is abused in South Africa every 6 hours, and a South African statistical report reveals that feminicide is 5 times as high as the world average. Three out of every five girls are physically and/or sexually abused. What’s more, they are battling with hunger,  exploitation, violence, early pregnancies, illiteracy, low self-esteem and a lack of prospects and raison d’être.

Surfing has been used as therapy and a means of empowerment that helps the organisation to enroll vulnerable children into structured programs and to encourage healthy lifestyles and positive coping mechanisms.

Objectives

• Providing intervention programmes by getting the young to take part in the surfing and mentoring therapy.
• Improving vulnerable children’s mental, physical, emotional and social health and empowering the girls using targeted and tailored programmes
• Promoting gender equality by encouraging girls’ participation in the surfing
• Offering possibilities for skill development and job opportunities in order to empower the jobless community members, by focusing on single-parent households managed by women.

Activities

• Introducing vulnerable girls and young women to the practice of a physical activity, surfing notably with a continuous professional development
• Free provision of surfing equipment and 1 500 meals a day to the underprivileged children
• Raising awareness on Covid-19 preventive measures and distribution of protection kits (face masks, sanitizers, etc.)
• Psychological support and protection programs for the young in poorer communities suffering from trauma
• Empowerment programs for girls and young women based on sexual health, the prevention of STIs, leadership, etc.

Impacts

• Over 300 girls and young women and 200 boys shall be the project beneficiaries with tailored empowerment and protection programmes
• Improving the living conditions of youngsters in poorer areas, encouragement to practice a physical activity and computer lessons
• Distribution of daily meals to more than 2 000 people (youngsters and adults) to enhance their well being
• Support and assistance for young mothers victims of early marriages and pregnancies

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