SOMA Surf – Female-Led Surf Therapy Organization in São Tomé

Organization Name: SOMA Surf
Contact: somasurf.st@gmail.com
Website: Soma Surf 

Tell Us About Your Organization

SOMA Surf is a non-profit (NGO) that uses Surf Therapy as a way to promote personal development and female empowerment on the island of São Tomé. It is the first Surf Therapy program of its kind in Africa. The program is located in the small surf town of Santana (just 20 minutes driving from the capital) and combines surf sessions with a psychoeducational dynamic for 30 young girls living in the community. The program lasts for 6-months after which the girls who graduate become ambassadors for the next 30 entering the program. Essentially, the program is educating the local community on gender equality and creating a better life and prospect for young females on the island. Today it gives them the equal opportunity to dream and create a source of freedom in the waves.

Location

The project is based on the island of São Tomé. Not a spot that many have heard of, it’s located off the coast of Guinea Bissau and quite literally lies on the equator point! Some might say it is the surf center of the world! An island very rarely frequented by tourists, they receive approximately 25,000 visitors each year many of which are Portuguese visitors due to the lack of English found on the island. If you’re looking to combine a remote and offbeat destination with meaningful volunteering work, then this is a great spot for you. São Tomé is still very much untouched by tourism although is heavily reliant on the industry for a source of income. Unfortunately, this is reflected in the countries statistics and majority of the population live on less than the average salary which is 50 euros per month.

Vision and long term objective

Extreme poverty, violence, lack of health care and education, are some of the challenges that children on the island face daily. Girls are found, in the vast majority of cases, at a disadvantage given the extreme gender inequality, not only in the social and professional environment but also in family structure. They are the most vulnerable when it comes to physical and sexual abuse – which results in most cases in early pregnancy (27% – data UNICEF 2008) making them prefer to stay indoors rather than outdoors.

The long-term vision of SOMA is to transform the lives of young females on the island by giving them a voice and confidence through the sport of surfing. This is done by combating the problems related to young pregnancy as young women are given another activity by discovering surfing.

Who We Are

SOMA Surfs story – It all started in October 2020 when founder Francisca Sequeira, went door to door of the communities of Santana and Agua Ize seeking parental permission to allow their young girls to come surfing. She had visited the island multiple times in the past with her previous job and had fallen in love with its natural beauty and kindhearted locals. Despite it allure she noticed on thing, whilst boy played out happily on the streets carefree, young girls would either sit silently on the side or be out of sight entirely in the homes they shared with extended families. Having felt the impacts of surfing on her own mental health, she decided to adopt this approach with the first surf therapy programme in Africa. It would be the first ever female surf class held on the island. Persuading parents to let their daughters participate in recreational sports was not an easy task, but her hard efforts saw 26 girls, aged between 6 and 18 show up to turn a page in São Tomé history.

Since then, SOMA Surf has grown to 3 members assisting with everyday management of the organization. The organization also welcomes short and long-term volunteers to assist with the 6-month surf intervention programs that take place twice a year on the island. The organization has also helped assist with the management and growth of the only surf club in São Tomé and is responsible for organising the men’s and women’s National Surf Championship.

The organization has the intentions of expanding to other ex-Portuguese-speaking colonies such as Mozambique and Cape Verde.

How can people help/volunteer with you?

 

SOMA currently offers three ways in which you can be part of the project which you can apply for here.

• Short-term Volunteering – With a minimum stay of 3 weeks, short term volunteers are responsible for the daily support of SOMA girls on the island. Tasks involve assisting with the Surf lessons as well as contributing to data collection that will go towards global research on Surf Therapy for young disadvantaged females. This include interviewing SOMA girls and visits to their parents households every 15 days to collect feedback on progress and changing attitudes. Buddies also assist with event organization relevent to the period in which they are assisting.
• Long-term Volunteering – SOMA works with 4 volunteers for a 6-month period during which they are responsible for the intervention of the SOMA girls on the island. 1 is responsible for the general coordination of the programme whilst the other 3 are specialists in the fields of surfing, empowerment of psychoeducation. For these roles, the volunteers must be Portuguese-speaking. It’s great practice for those looking to develop their language skills!
• Back Office Support – SOMA promotes open collaboration and is always looking for support in administration, funding and grant advice, accounting, design and branding and website work. If you’re qualified in these skills and you’re looking to do some meaningful work with a cause that matters, then this is a great way to do this.

What makes you the proudest about your organization?

We are most proud of the impact we have already seen on the community of Santana, the surf town in São Tomé. Younger children have more respect and understanding for the young girls on the island. They treat their sisters as equals and support with the assistance and learning of surfing for young girls on the island.

During the first Women’s National Surf contest over 40 locals from the nearby towns showed up to see young females on the island compete for the first time ever in surfing history. A small number but a huge victory for an island so disconnected from the realities of gender equality and female empowerment that exist outside of the island.

So far, 30 young girls have already participated in the programme and the impact has been profound. Whilst most wouldn’t even speak about future prospects or understand the meaning, today that is changing. They dream of becoming teachers, policewomen and professional surfers. With a newfound sense of drive they may even achieve this, even though the possibility still seems so far away on an island like São Tomé, SOMA is working endlessly to support in seeing their dreams come true. To see how the young girls who participated in the first 6 month program now support those on the current intervention is inspiring. It truly shows the impact the program has had on the founding participants and gives us hope that this will continue to grow across the whole island in the future.

SOMA is working to extend its impact to the broader community and involve in the intervention with girls outside of the towns of Santana and Agua Ize. SOMA is looking for hardworking volunteers with a sense of adventure willing to take the plunge with the participants to drive female empowerment further.

 

Photos taken from RalCreative Portfolio.