Surfing AND Serving

Written by: Andrea Yoder Clark, Program Manager of SurfAid International U.S. Schools

SurfAid International is a nonprofit, humanitarian organization, whose mission is to improve the health, well being, and self-reliance of people living in isolated communities connected to us through surfing.

In 1999, physician and surfer Dr. Dave Jenkins went on a surf charter to the Mentawai Islands with one goal in mind: to find perfect waves. The surf was everything he hoped for, but he also found the Mentawai people dying from the ravages of malaria and other preventable diseases. Dr. Jenkins was unable to walk away. It was a defining life moment. He sought support from Dr. Steve Hathaway, an epidemiologist friend, and in January 2000 they co-founded SurfAid International.

Today, SurfAid develops health projects that enhance local capacities and promotes community-based self-help solutions, guided by the aspirations of its beneficiaries. SurfAid believes development should be sustainable; encompassing the social, spiritual, cultural, and economic well being of its beneficiaries.

SurfAid's primary programs include the Malaria Free Mentawai program, the Community Based Health program, and the Emergency Preparedness program.

Prior to SurfAid, malaria control and treatment in the Mentawais was virtually nonexistent. In 2001, SurfAid began piloting the Malaria Control Project in one village. By 2004, SurfAid had expanded the project to more than 13,200 people in 17 villages led by 24 local field workers. Today, SurfAid's Malaria Control Project has resulted in a 90 percent reduction in malaria-related death and suffering in target areas.

Now schools can get involved in these important efforts through the SurfAid Schools Program. This program offers service-learning opportunities for schools through free online curriculum targeting teachers in grades fourth through 12^th. This curriculum uses SurfAid International as a case study for examining global health issues and integrates service-learning with global issues such as malaria, environmental education, and global citizenship.

The best part is the curriculum is available for free! For more information contact the SurfAid International US Schools Program Manager, Andrea Yoder Clark at andrea@surfaidinternational.org. Or visit the SurfAid Schools Program website at http://schools.surfaidinternational.org.