The Brightside - SurfAid. Our 1% For The Planet Charity Partner

August 6, 2024

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Written by

The Brightside - SurfAid. Our 1% For The Planet Charity Partner

August 6, 2024

·

Written by

The Brightside: SurfAid - Our 1% For The Planet Charity Partner

For our latest Brightside, we chat with Claire Stafford from SurfAid, our 1% For The Planet charity partner. Founded by Dr Dave Jenkins, SurfAid provides access to healthcare, clean water, sanitation, and improved nutrition in extremely isolated villages where mothers and children routinely die from preventable diseases.

Hey, SurfAid team, please introduce yourselves and tell us who you are.

I’m Claire Stafford, Head of Partnerships and Donors in the SurfAid team. SurfAid HQ is based in Alexandria, Sydney, and our founder is Dr Dave Jenkins, originally from New Zealand.

Also in our team is Doug Lees - CEO, Laura Casaceli - Global Fundraising and Marketing Director, Izzy Wood - Community Fundraising Coordinator, Jess Bell - Marketing and Campaigns Manager, Christine Pollard - CFO, Jodi Cornish - Head of Programs and Ash McDermott - Operations Manager.

What does SurfAid mean, and how did it all begin?

The SurfAid story started in 1999 when founder Dr Dave Jenkins took a regular surf trip to the Mentawais, a chain of islands off the coast of Sumatra. The region is home to 76,000 people and some of the most perfect reef surf breaks the world has to offer. As a career-focused doctor working out of Singapore, he decided to take a break from a stressful corporate directorship and arrived on the islands with the aim of feeding upon the buffet of tropical waves on offer.

However, during a harmless tourist venture inland to one of the villages, his beliefs in what is important in life changed forever. He saw women and children dying from malaria, malnutrition and inadequate living standards – things that he knew were treatable and, better still, preventable through changed behaviours such as basic hygiene and better breastfeeding practices.

After that, Dave vowed to return to the Mentawais with people and supplies. After wrestling with voices of self-interest, he left his job and headed home to a new challenge. He called upon two of his closest friends – Dr Steve Hathaway, a world-renowned public health specialist, and lawyer Phil Dreifuss. It was not only because they were mates but because he knew they had most of the talent and that if they said yes, SurfAid had a fighting chance.

On 26 January 2000, SurfAid was born, full of shared hopes and dreams and crazy, overly ambitious plans.

Can you share one of your most memorable projects that you’ve worked on?

In 2021, we launched Make A Wave, our first-ever virtual surf challenge, in which we invited people to surf every day in September and raise money for SurfAid. At the time, the fundraising team consisted of Laura and me. We had no idea how the challenge would be received, and we worked round the clock for weeks to get it up and running! Amazingly, we welcomed 1,300 surfers from 29 different countries who all surfed for 30 days straight in September, and we raised $740,000. The Make A Wave challenge is going strong and is now in its 4th year.

What are some of the challenges you have faced along the way?

Working for a small not-for-profit requires you to be prepared to take on many different roles, but that’s also what makes it super fun!

How can people support your mission?

Join Make A Wave! You can also take part in one of our SurfAid Cups which run in Bondi, Manly and URBNSURF every year.

What impact has SurfAid made in the communities you serve?

Any exciting plans coming up this year?

SurfAid is launching two new projects to deliver crucial WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) services in the Mentawai and Rote. In Mentawai, only 20% of the local population can access safe drinking water and proper sanitation facilities. On Rote Island, up to 50% of children suffer from stunted growth due to unsafe water, poor sanitation, and inadequate hygiene. As a result, families in these remote communities are facing significant health challenges. Our projects will include the construction of water facilities, health and hygiene education, and the promotion of sustainable water use practices.