Waves for Change (W4C), an award-winning surf therapy organisation working with vulnerable and differently-abled youth in South Africa and Liberia, launched as a child-friendly mental health programme in 2011. We have worked with researchers, universities and community members in South Africa’s under-served areas to design, pilot, and share programmes fusing the rush of surfing with evidence-based mind/body therapeutic activities. We call this ‘surf therapy’.
Waves for Change wants to increase access to meaningful and impactful mental-health services, by sharing our learnings and offering training and support to passionate people who want to bring evidence-based positive well-being to their local coastal communities. It’s a once in a lifetime chance to get involved in the world’s first surf therapy incubator! If you are interested, or know someone who might be, please keep reading - and please do spread the word!
Young people who are constantly exposed to stress and trauma are more at risk to physical illness and diseases, reduced cognition and emotional and behavioural regulation, and to make life choices that are unhealthy for themselves and those around them. Surf therapy fuses the rush of surfing with evidence-based mind/body therapy, to improve the mental and physical well-being of young people growing up in challenging environments.
Over the last seven years, W4C has worked with local universities and communities in South Africa and Liberia to develop community-owned surf therapy programmes. We want to connect more youth to the power of surf therapy, and we feel the best way to do this is sharing, through our Wave Alliance initiative.The Wave Alliance supports passionate people to bring evidence-based positive well-being to their local coastal communities through surf therapy. By providing training, equipment, and mentoring through on-going consultancy, the Wave Alliance aims to increase access to locally-owned surf therapy programmes around the world.
We are seeking partners who we’ll support and mentor to build their own surf therapy programmes. You can be a registered NGO or an individual; if you are keen and committed, we want to hear from you! The first step is to fill in this survey, to help us understand your needs and expectations. We will review your survey, and get in touch to set up a call!
Alternatively, if you know someone who might benefit from this opportunity, please pass on this email and copy in ashleigh@isiqalo.org.
We look forward to working with you, to increase access to mental health services in your community.
