Surf Voluntourism: Education for Youth, Surfing and Serving for Travelers
Surf travel should be experiential and transformative for the traveler and the community which they visit. WAVES recognizes the value of surfing and surf travel to developing countries, and the positive impact it can have on a community in terms of academic and environmental education, cultural exchange, personal and social development and economic growth.
About You
Contact Information
Title
Title (e.g. Mr. Ms.
First name
Dave
Last name
Aabo
Your job title
executive director
Name of your organization
WAVES for Development International, Inc.
Organization type
Not-for-Profit
Annual budget/currency
Annual Budget/Currency
Mailing address
345 w 48th st., ste 1a, NY, NY, 12020
Telephone number
518 339-2142
Postal/Zip Code
Country
United States
Email address
Alternative email address
Your idea
This will be the address used to plot your entry on the map.
Street Address
345 w 48th St,
City
NY
State/Province
Ste 1A
Postal/Zip Code
10036
Country
United States
Geotourism Challenge Addressed by Entrant
Quality of tourist experience and educational benefit to tourists , Quality of benefit to residents for the destination , Quality of stewardship of the destination.
Organization size
Small (1 to 100 employees)
Indicate sector in which you principally work
Community Organization
Year innovation began
2008
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Indicate sector in which you principally work
Education.
Name Your Project
Surf Voluntourism: Education for Youth, Surfing and Serving for Travelers
Describe Your Idea
Surf travel should be experiential and transformative for the traveler and the community which they visit. WAVES recognizes the value of surfing and surf travel to developing countries, and the positive impact it can have on a community in terms of academic and environmental education, cultural exchange, personal and social development and economic growth.
Innovation
What is the goal of your innovation? Please describe in one sentence the kind of impact, change, or reform your approach is intended to achieve.
We believe surf travel should benefit the people and communities where it takes place.
Please write an overview of your project. Include how your approach supports or embodies geotourism or destination stewardship. This text will appear when people scroll over the icon for your entry on the map located on the competition homepage.
Surf travel should be experiential and transformative for the traveler and the community which they visit. WAVES recognizes the value of surfing and surf travel to developing countries, and the positive impact it can have on a community in terms of academic and environmental education, cultural exchange, personal and social development and economic growth.
Explain in detail why your approach is innovative
A few surf related nonprofits exist, however, none with the combination of ongoing local vocational development programs for youth and volunteer tourism components for travelers integrated into the delivery. By leveraging the fun factor we engage youth through sport and create an infrastructure to put good intentions of volunteer travelers into action; a fun way to do good.
Impact
Describe the degree of success you have had to date. How do you measure, both quantitatively and qualitatively, the impact on sustainability or enhancement of local culture, environment, heritage, or aesthetics? How has it transformed or contributed to the power of place or demonstrated the sustainability of tourism? How does your approach minimize negative impacts?
We strive for small victories on the local level. 143 youth have participated in the programs in Lobitos - which is over half of the youth population. Anecdotal evidence from volunteers tells us that the youth are really advancing in their surf ability. Henry, a local ripper, was one of three participants - because of their involvement with WAVES, that traveled to a neighboring community to participate in a regional surf competition. So far over 44 people have volunteered in Lobitos, hailing from over five countries. The host family volunteers stay with has opened a small restaurant to diversify their income.
Another success story is that of WAVES' local surf instructor/coordinator - Holggers Clavijo. He has been trained and is now earning an income that supports his family. He has gone on to teach youth surfboard repair techniques so they can earn money from skills learned in the Educational Surf program as well. Additionally, a number of small businesses are being incubated through the program including fishing tours and surf photography. We look forward to reporting more and more local families earning increased income from surf tourism to the area.
In what ways are local residents actively involved in your work, including participation and community input? How has the community responded to or benefited from your approach?
.Community participation and input has various levels in the WAVES approach. First, talking to local residents and surfing with them is where the origin of the idea came from. The classic approach is going to a local bodega, ordering a soda pop, and talking to whoever comes by while enjoying it. Listen surveys, community mapping and other participatory analysis for community action tools were also employed.
Meetings with the local government, school director and the fisherman's union also shed light onto their needs, desires and priorities. The school director told us directly that the English teacher at the school didn't speak English and that their weren't any structured physical education classes. With that, the Educational Surf programs were born.
In our opening ceremony we had a barbecue and invited the entire community. The host family volunteers stay with has opened a small scale restaurant and benefit from increased income from surf voluntourism.
How does your program promote traveler enthusiasm, satisfaction, and engagement with the locale?
.Volunteers surf with locals. They lead swim and English classes. They learn about local food and fishing techniques that have been employed for years. They teach and are taught.
Describe how your work helps travelers and local residents better understand the value of the area's cultural and natural heritage, and educates them on local environmental issues.
.Lobitos is an interesting town. It has 3 power players: Military, Oil Companies and Local Government. During orientation and before arrival, volunteers are exposed to the town's history, the local government's strategic plan and where WAVES fits into it in the tourism spectrum.
In terms of environmental conservation - each class that's held on the beach includes a 'pick-up-three' component where each participant before entering the water to swim or surf picks of three pieces of trash. A 12 yr old in California developed the idea so that the world's beaches will be exponentially cleaner if all visitors 'picked up three'.
Biodiversity is a topic of discussion as well. Books and other conservation nonprofits have been brought in to the area to provide training and awareness on indigenous plants and wildlife.
This Entry is about (Issues)
Sustainability
How is your initiative currently financed? If available, provide information on your finances and organization that could help others. Please list: Annual budget, annual revenue generated, size of part-time, full-time and volunteer staff.
.Ours is a hybrid model. We charge program fees to cover volunteer costs and ask for donations as a requirement for participation. Additionally, once 501c3 status is obtained grant funding will be sought from family and private foundations.
Annual Budget: 25,000
Annual Revenue Generated: 25,000 (including in-kind donations)
Full Time staff: 1 Peruvian
Volunteer staff: 3
Is your initiative financially and organizationally sustainable? If not, what is required to make it so? Is there a potential demand for your innovation?
.No. We need financing to pay top staff for the work they do. Organizationally, we have the capacity, however, members get pulled away from the project so they can make money.
The demand for WAVES for Development is huge. We have been contacted not only by various communities within Peru (Ilo, Huarmey) asking for our programs, but internationally as well - Nicaragua, Columbia, the Galapagos, and in Cameroon.
What are the main barriers you encounter in managing, implementing, or replicating your innovation? What barriers keep your program from having greater impact?
.A big barrier is a combination of expanding the scope of the program with staff and resources while simultaneously attracting volunteers for the programs.
Developing and perfecting adequate evaluation metrics is a year long process we have undertaken but could use more help.
Greater impact could be achieved with significant seed funding to hire more staff and offer the programs in all of the communities that have requested it.
What is your plan to expand or further develop your approach? Please indicate where/how you would like to grow or enhance your innovation, or have others do so.
.Our plan is to demonstrate success in Peru, expand there, then find local partners in new countries. Currently we offer volunteer opportunities in Lobitos. Recently we opened a program for local surf instructors in Mancora. We would like to open a volunteer component in Mancora next. With 2 more staff members we will have the capacity to do so.
Additionally, we are continually searching out and connecting with similar organizations elsewhere in the world with a spirit of collaboration. We are in the process of partnering with a bigger volunteer agency to find volunteers for us. They will be doing a site visit within the next couple of months.
The Story
Please provide a personal bio. Note this may be used in Changemakers' marketing material.
I have more than four years experience living and working in Peru developing tourism initiatives in rural coastal communities and the tropical mountains of Northern Peru. As a Peace Corps volunteer I researched, wrote and presented feasibility plans on ‘coffee tourism’ and ‘adventure conservation’ volunteer tourism initiatives and analyzed and revised the Peace Corps’ environmental project framework and reporting format.
Fluent in Spanish, I have worked in collaboration with ProNaturaleza, the Peruvian Foundation for the Conservation of Nature, where I supported the development and launch of a community-based volunteer vacation opportunity, providing blended adventure/conservation trips in the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve. Degrees include: M.S. Organizational Management from the School for International Training, 2006; and B.S. in Business Administration from Colorado State University, 2000.
What is the origin of your innovation? Tell the Changemakers and media communities what prompted you to start this initiative.
In 2003 a number of us on the WAVES team started as Peace Corps volunteer in Peru. We worked for two years with associations of coffee farmers in the mountains of northern Peru on a variety of business and community development programs. 2006 was spent in Lima as coordinators for the Business and Environment programs of Peace Corps. During these 3 years our vacation time was spent on along the coast enjoying the great waves of Peru.
It didn't take long to notice the rural coastal communities, like many communities in Peru, suffered from poverty and limited educational opportunities. We also noticed that lots of tourists came to these communities to surf, but that they also left as soon as they finished surfing, leaving the communities with no benefit. We looked into the educational reality of these communities and found that a mere 30% of students in communities like Lobitos graduate high school, and only a handful go on to universities.
Combining our work in community development and our passion for surfing the idea of making WAVES for Development was born.
Describe some unique tourist experiences that your approach provides. Be specific; give illustrative examples.
While the WAVES for Development opportunity provides a unique approach for a number of reasons, I would like to focus on two experiences: surfing and cave visits.
Surfing is fun. It's as simple as that. Not only can a volunteer learn to surf themself, but share that experience with local youth. Local youth, some of whom are now established surfers, have taken on assistant leader roles within the organization and help teach fellow community members and visiting travelers alike the joys of standing on a board as it glides across the waves.
The local caves are a natural beauty. Formed by many years of erosion and atmospheric wonder, these local gems are visited in a way that respects the culture. Local shamans have done ceremonies in the caves for volunteers in the past. There is a peculiarity and awe that surrounds these particular caves that have attracted alien following sects from around the world.
What types of partnerships or professional development would be most beneficial in spreading your innovation?
In terms of partnerships - two would be extremely beneficial. First, a tour operator- type partner that could provide a constant stream of volunteers would take a huge marketing burden off our shoulders so we could put even more focus on delivering high quality education programs for youth.
Next, an educational partner that has experience in a combination of the goal topics would be invaluable. These include: Life Skills, Environmental Conservation, Social Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Tourism. Adapting previously established and effective curriculum to the local reality complete with monitoring and evaluation tools is a dream of ours.
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| vision mural on WAVES clubhouse copy.jpg | 156.29 KB |
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