The Plett Water Wise Project

In 2005 the surf school started to give back. A surfing weekend was hosted by the surf school for all the underprivledged schools in our area. We had a fantastic turnout and  had many good people from our surfing community giving up their time to assist these children. They were given surfing lessons and safety talks about the ocean and then treated  to a beach picnic at the end of the day.

The clinic went so well that the following year Jamin surf school decided to host the clinic again, this time there would be a group chosen from the clinic to start a surfing programe permanently. The descision was tough but eventually the team was chosen. The idea was to get surfboards and wetsuits and give them lessons every week twice a week. We raised money by starting the SURFERS BALL, a night of dinner and dance on the main beach of PlettenbergBay. One hundred and twenty tickets sold the first year and with this money all the equipment was bought for the children. The first year and a half Claire taught the children to surf every week and their progress was phenomanal, considering were these chidren have come from.

The second Surfers Ball raised the money to take the team to development games in Port Elizabeth, Clayton became a father to these children and has been an awesome guardian and counsellor to the group. Most of the children had never been outside Plettenberg Bay in their lives and this trip to P.E. was the first road trip of their lives.

The third SURFERS BALL  was held in a recession year and unfortunatly no money was raised. The children have however continued to go surfing when the surf has been good. They store their surfboards and wetsuits at the surf cafe  where Clayton has kindly accomodated space for them.  

The group of children are all street children of a certain calibre. They have homes but not good family lives and due to this are making a life for themselves on the street. A stipulation in place is that for the priveledge of being on the programe these group of children must go to school. The average age is fifteen amongst these boys and their level of education is equivalent to a grade 4 child. Help in this area would be greatly apprecaited.

These children are in essence  the FORGOTTEN CHILDREN, they are not ill and they are not orphans and therefore have no particular attention on them. They have formed unsavoury habits and sometimes dabble in petty crime. This leaves them in the average group of nobodies. We believe that everybody should be a somebody. Even though their education is not up to scratch we would like this to change, our aim is to eventually get them teaching as instructors in our school and even be lifeguards on our beaches in Plettenberg Bay. Ultimatley it would be fantastic for theses children to be examples to their piers and to change the lives of others in return. Finance and abit of belief and alot of love can go a very long way. We do realize that not everybody can be helped and so if the rules are not adhered to then the individual not abiding will forfeit his/her surfboard and wetsuit and all privledges and be removed from the programe until they have proved they are worthy of joining again.

We will start scouting for new candidates again once a month by hosting surfing clinics for the local schools.  

The SURFERS BALL is on the 24 September 2010 this year and any help from physical assistance to financial contribution will be greatly apprecaited.