Preferred Charities
www.surfaidinternational.org
Surfing to be the best thing that ever happened to the Mentawai Islands, Indonesia
In October 1999, Dr. Dave Jenkins, a medical doctor and surfer from New Zealand, went on a surf trip to the Mentawai Islands of Indonesia. Dr. Dave got insane waves, but he also found out that in many cases, only meters away from these great waves, half of Mentawai children were dying before the age of 5 of preventable diseases such as malaria.
Shocked by this terrible reality, he decided that he wanted to be part of the solution. He moved to the islands and used his own money to start a malaria control program for the people of the Mentawais.
Dr. Dave later founded Surf Aid International (“SAI”) to channel the support of like-minded people all over the world. The whole surfing community currently supports Surf Aid in one way or another. Now, the ISA does too.
The ISA Executive Committee is pleased to announce that the ISA recognizes SAI as a “Preferred Charity.”
This is a wonderful opportunity to show the world the compassion and goodwill of the surfing community and the credibility of the sport by helping out those in need. The ISA also believes in SAI’s mission to promote health and social programs throughout the Mentawai community and to encourage and coordinate the support of the global surfing community.
One of SAI’s major projects is reducing the death, suffering and socioeconomic consequences of Malaria in over 15 villages and 12,000+ people. In the worst areas of the Mentawai Islands, 50% of children will die before end of five. 70% of families have lost at least one child, (PRA data - UNESCO, Yayasan Citra Mandiri 2000-2001). Almost all childhood deaths are from preventable and treatable diseases such as measles, tetanus, malaria, and diarrhea. At any one time up to 50% of Mentawai people carry the malaria parasite, which causes severe suffering and death. The existing Mentawai health system is greatly under-resourced and has an urgent need for doctors, nurses, training, and medical supplies.
SAI Programs:
The SAI Mentawai Health Program currently consists of four individual projects that address the most pressing health needs of the Mentawai people. Each project has been designed with the help of international experts, is cost effective and culturally sensitive. While implementing specific health projects over the medium term, the philosophy of SAI is to empower local communities to increasingly bring about their own improvements in health and quality of life. SAI will foster and facilitate input from local government and non-government organizations to achieve this goal.
For more information about SAI, to become involved or make a donation please visit: www.surfaidinternational.org.
On September 11th, 2004, the second evening of the ASR (Action Sports Retailer) Tradeshow in San Diego, California, a fundraiser will be held to benefit SAI. This event is being organized by ISA President's brother, Santiago Aguerre and is a wonderful opportunity to contribute to a great cause.
www.surfrider.org
Jim Moriarty
Timeline: July 12, 2009
It’s a sunny day and there’s a swell running. You park the truck, grab your board and wetsuit and trek down the path to Trestles. You get to the bottom of the path only to find a large, orange plastic fence strewn in front of you with a big sign reading “Beach Closed.”
This isn’t some fairy tale. It could happen. In fact it’s in the process of happening. At any given time it’s hundreds of beaches and surf spots around the world being lost to erosion, development or privatization.
But don’t mislead yourself; if a wave is lost, it’s not because of something someone else did; it’s because of something you DIDN’T do…
…You didn’t get involved.
For over 20 years, the Surfrider Foundation has worked to protect and preserve our world’s oceans, waves and beaches. We have more than 64 chapters in the United States and Puerto Rico, as well as international affiliates in Japan, Brazil, Australia and Europe. We’ve won campaigns to keep beaches open, keep coastal waters clean and save surf spots from being destroyed. However for all its successes, the Surfrider Foundation isn’t the Calvary that rides in and saves the day. What we are is 50,000 plus volunteers that have made the decision to get off their butts and work to protect their breaks.
No one likes attending City Council meetings. No one likes spending their time picking up trash on a beach either. All of us would rather be paddling out for a surf or taking care of something around the house. We do these things because they have direct impact on protecting our local breaks. We do these things because they need to be done!
This brings us to you…
You are Surfrider Foundation whether you like it or not!
You have a local break. It’s not someone else’s responsibility to protect it for you. That’s your job!
Your decision to volunteer to protect your local break comes down to what you value, today’s surf or the protecting of that very same wave against tomorrow’s challenges.
If you choose not to direct your time, energy and money at protecting your local break… don’t expect anyone else to do it.
Surfrider Foundation is not an organization, it’s a cultural movement. Our Foundation employs a staff smaller than your average coffee shop. The real muscle of Surfrider Foundation are local surfers all over the world, working together to protect what they love… our planet’s oceans, waves and beaches.
So the choice is yours – go to www.surfrider.org and join in the fight to protect our oceans, waves and beaches, or save the $25 and use it to buy a mirror so you’ll be sure who to blame when we lose them.
