Ready for 2022!

2021 was an exciting year for Surfpop and we cannot wait for what the new year will bring! Last year we welcomed our first international volunteers back, after a year wherein we had to run our program without their helping hands. We also welcomed new partners, tribe members and ambassadors into our family and with our impact assessment, once again, proved the relevance of the Surfpop program. With these positive developments, we started the preparations to grow the Surfpop program in 2022 🙂

International volunteers

In April 2021, we reopened our international volunteer program as South Africa allowed foreigners to enter the country. We were excited to have these much needed helping hands back to support our local team and give the Surfpop children the individual attention that we as Surfpop strive to give each child. The Surfpop children were also incredibly happy with the extra help and care in the classroom and the surf and beyond excited to share their love for the ocean and the surf with the volunteers.

Growing family and impact

In 2021, we also welcomed new partners, tribe members and ambassadors into our Surfpop family. Our new partners support our journey and help us implement our program, our tribe members support us by donating monthly and our Surfpop ambassadors Jennica Lowell and Joshe Faulkner share our vision and mission far and wide.

We also conducted an assessment to measure the continued impact of the Surfpop program between 2020 and 2021. We are proud of the outcomes that we achieved. The Surfpop children significantly improved their well-being and resilience, performed well in school compared to the national average and cared for their physical health and natural environment. And last but not least, Surfpop created real future opportunities for its first three graduates in the form of jobs and bursaries!

Ready for growth

With this positive impact and our new partners, tribe members, ambassadors and international volunteers on board, we are ready for 2022: a new year full of opportunities and waves and a new year to grow our Surfpop family! The last months of 2021 we worked hard to kickstart the preparations for this growth and we cannot wait to invite new children into our program in the year ahead. Stay tuned for more news about our growth. Coming soon…

We are excited to share the Surfpop impact report 2020-2021 with you. A period wherein we were able to grow our program, while navigating and providing support during the COVID-19 pandemic.

We are proud of the impact that we have achieved! All children enjoy being part of Surfpop. The children significantly improved their emotional well-being and resilience since joining Surfpop with an improved future outlook, access to a safe space and new coping skills. They performed well in school with a 100 percent pass rate. As surfers, the children improved their physical health and enjoyed playing their part in caring for the environment.

Surfpop also created real future opportunities for its first three graduates in the form of jobs and bursaries. As role models our graduates inspire others within Surfpop to dream big: “Surfpop teaches us to be courageous in the ocean and in our dreams for the future” and “now my child knows that her dreams can come true so she keeps on dreaming.”

Hi, I am Justus van Spaandonck from the Netherlands. In my gap year, I wanted to combine something sporty with doing something good for society. Through Surfpop, I found the perfect combination. In the morning, you go surfing with your Surfpop friends, guided by good surf coaches, where you improve your surfing a lot. I could not surf before joining Surfpop and after two months I can say that I am an intermediate surfer. In the afternoon, you help the children from the township at the Surfpop school with their Maths or English or you coach the children in the water during their surf session. For me it was very special to build a strong and fun relationship with children from the township so quickly. They learn from you and I learned from them: you speak English all day and improving my English was one of my goals for this beautiful experience with Surfpop.

In February 2020, Surfpop started with a girl only group to address the specific challenges that girls face in township communities in South Africa. It has been incredible to witness how the Surfpop program, specifically designed to their needs, has empowered the girls. As one of our high school girls says: “Surfpop makes me courageous!”

We are incredibly thankful to the videographers and news channels, including Beautiful News and the South African channels News24 and eTV, for giving airtime to our girl only group. This has further empowered our girls and has led to new exciting partnerships.

Next time that you are at one of the South African airports, keep an eye out, you might just see the Surfpop girls feature on the big screen 🙂

Would you like to give back and volunteer for a cool cause, while learning how to surf and exploring Cape Town? Join Surfpop as a volunteer and share the stoke and love for surfing and the ocean with the Surfpop children from Masiphumelele township!

Surfpop program

Children growing up in Masiphumelele township in Cape Town face many challenges and do not have the opportunity to experience nature in its truest form. Through a powerful formula of surfing, education and nutrition, Surfpop boosts the children’s happiness, confidence and physical health, makes them more resilient to the challenges in their township, improves their school outcomes and prepares them for decent employment, truly lifting them out of poverty.

Volunteering

As a volunteer you play an important role in the success of the Surfpop program. You assist the Surfpop children in the ocean with their surf sessions. When you are not coaching the children in the water, you assist them in the Surfpop classroom with their homework, guide them with their Maths and English courses and help Surfpop prepare and facilitate life skills and vocational workshops for the children. Do you have other unique skills that you would like to share with the children and with Surfpop, we are always eager to learn from you!

Surf and explore

Next to your volunteering, we make you feel at home in our beautiful surf hostel in Muizenberg, teach you how to ride waves, bring your surfing to the next level and take you on off the beaten track tours to explore all the natural beauty of the Cape Peninsula. Would you like to find flexibility and inner peace, we offer yoga lessons too! Learn all about our different volunteer packages. 

What other volunteers say!

Since 2015, we have had over 100 volunteers who joined us from Europe, the United States and South America! Read some of their volunteer testimonials on our website or check out @surfpop_volunteers to follow the journey of our Surfpop volunteers and connect directly with them.

Discount

Ready for a last minute trip? If you book for September 2021, you receive a 20 percent discount 🙂

* COVID-19 policy: if you booked your volunteer stay with us, but you are unable to fly due to COVID-19 regulations, Surfpop will fully refund you. 

 

The Surfpop Tribe is our global community who share and support our dream by contributing monthly, so that we can introduce more children and youth to the healing power of the ocean, empowering them through our proven formula of surfing, education and nutrition, thereby creating real future opportunities for them.

Creating real opportunities

Ayanda, or Ace, grew up in Masiphumelele township in South Africa. Ace joined Surfpop six years ago as a beneficiary. He is the first Surfpop graduate. When he turned 18 years at the end of 2019, Surfpop offered him a job as assistant surf coach. He has not only proven to be a good coach, but plays an invaluable role in all program activities. As the star of our Surfpop team, he shows the other Surfpop children that anything is possible!

Asenako is 17 years old and our oldest girl in the program. She joined Surfpop more than four years ago. Surfing makes her feel free and helps her deal with challenges in life. Through Surfpop she got a bursary to go to college, where she is now completing her secondary education, while obtaining a degree in Hospitality Management. Just like Ace, Asenako is a role model for our Surfpop children and encourages them to dream big. 

Our growing Surfpop Tribe!

It has been incredible to see our Surfpop Tribe grow with members from all over the world. With the support of our tribe members we have already been able to give three more children from Masiphumelele township, who are in foster care or incredibly challenging home situations, the opportunity to join our program!

With 9 tribe members, 1 child can join Surfpop!

Would you like to help us give more children a sustainable future through Surfpop? Join the Surfpop Tribe by donating €10 (R150) monthly or more to help us give more children from more township communities in South Africa the opportunity to join the Surfpop program. We need only 9 tribe members who donate EUR 10 (R150) a month to invite a new child into our program. Your vibe attracts your tribe! Can you get 8 of your tribe members to join you in supporting one Surfpop child? Head over to our donate page to join the tribe!