Annual Surf Camp for Kids

Every year, Surf School Lenda holds ann annual Surf Camp Intensive for kids! This is a program for youth students of Surf School Lenda only, to learn how to compete at the level of professional surfers. It also serves as their yearly exam to create internal rankings for the boys’ and girls’ team so they will be ready to send junior teams when they receive international invitations like the ones they received directly this year from Reunion Island and South Africa - which they did not yet have the logistics to send their kids. The program is for juniors only, with three categories: Boys Under 18, Boys under 14, and Girls, to give everyone a chance to do their best and learn. There is always equal prize money for boys and girls.
 

The first event held in 2024 was a huge success for the community. All of the students´ families came out to watch and it was the first time many of them were able to see the impressive skills of their children and to understand how hard they have been training. One of the best moments was seeing fathers and uncles lift their daughters on their shoulders because they were so proud of their girls - a rare sight in Madagascar, where girls are often left behind and overlooked. 50 children participated (30 boys and 20 girls).

 

As of now, there are almost no events or opportunities for surfing in Fort Dauphin or the rest Madagascar, and the few that exist are targeted towards adult men. This is why it is so important to have programs to support the development of young children in the sport, with a special focus on promoting participation and empowerment of girls.

 

Each year there is a lesson with Toky Joe Kennedy Ravelomanantsoa, head coach and lifeguard (certified by Lifesaving South Africa) at Surf School Lenda. Joe Kennedy is the first ever professional Malagasy surfer and has competed in the World Surf League in Asia, Africa, and America (ranked 19th in Africa for ´23-´24). He will also holds an information session on judging for older members of the school (as the only currently certified ISA Judge in Madagascar). This is an important way to pass on the skills and training he has been able to gain overseas with the next generation and the youth of Madagascar.

 

As mentioned above, there is prize money for the top performing students in each category, and, importantly equal money for boys and girls, along with a new under 14 category for the boys as the littlest ones at 10 and 11 struggled last year to compete alongside 16 year olds. First prize is 200,000 Ariary (about $40) - which does not sound like much but it is actually a monthly salary in Madagascar and a huge help to families who survive day to day on what they catch fishing.

 

We value transparency and make available a detailed itemized budget. It is a priority to keep the budget low - as this shows that great events can be done for the kids without requiring large amounts of funding. All of the staff volunteer their time and effort so that the majority of the funds go directly to the children. There is food provided to participants each morning and afternoon over the 2 days, as many of the students often do not have food at home. In this way, we can make sure that each kid has an equal chance to learn and do their best in our program, without going hungry.