As I was huffing and puffing up the slope, careful not to drop off the steep wall, and anxiously avoiding the small ditch the community had dug with their simple hoes, sticks and coconut husks, I remembered how surprised I was reading the last sentence in the monthly report of this water project in remote Lere, on the island of Sumbawa, barely a week ago. “The community has already installed 30 metres of pipes in an extremely difficult environment.” I remember thinking, “30 metres? That is not much!”

But that is before I went to the water source, which is eight kilometres from the village. We travelled through picturesque rice fields, an almost dry riverbed filled with rubble and big rocks, then jungle. After scrambling on hands and feet over the steep slopes we finally made it to a small waterfall. ...read more

"I go to the Mentawai Islands every four to five years and you get to see these most amazing people who live in the villages that need our help. I’ve seen so much progression since the last time I’ve been there. Maybe some day we’ll have surfers coming from the islands and they will be future world champions." - Lisa Andersen

Check out why four-time ASP World Champion Lisa Andersen supports SurfAid.

Please join Lisa and all of our supporters in making this year the best yet. Your gift can save lives. ...read more

Your generous support saves lives. We are happy to share with you just one example of the powerful impact of your donations. Nurita is a SurfAid staff member based in Nias who specializes in mother and child health. She asked us to tell you this story:
Ibu Genaria Draha lives in Mazingo Tanoseo, a hamlet of Hiliduho, on the island of Nias. Tragically, she lost her first child, aged one and a half, in March 2012 after two days of suffering from fever, vomiting and breathing problems.

In January last year, Genaria Draha gave birth to her second child, Olianus Telaumbanua, assisted by village midwives. The midwives put her baby on her chest right after she gave birth and they strongly suggested that she exclusively breastfeed until six months, and also go to Posyandu every month to monitor her baby’s growth and wellbeing. Her husband, who had learnt about the benefits of breastfeeding at Posyandu and by attending a film session in his village, also encouraged her. Since then, she has been attending Posyandu. ...read more

SurfAid has honoured Singapore-based Australian schoolteacher, Jackson English, with its Humanitarian of the Year Award 2014.

SurfAid founder Dr Dave Jenkins presented the award to English at the recent OzForex SurfAid Cup in Sydney, Australia. English competed at the fundraising event with his team, dubbed “The Paddlers”, and they won the surfing section.

Dr Jenkins said that English has been SurfAid’s most prolific individual fundraiser in the 14-year history of the non-profit organisation that focuses on community development in remote areas of Indonesia. ...read more

Sixteen corporate teams have raised $140,000 in the OzForex SurfAid Cup, and The Paddlers have won the surfing contest in good 3-4 foot surf at South Curl Curl, on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.

By raising $24,000, Aquabumps won the fundraising trophy and they picked number one seed Owen Wright as their pro to join their tag-team.

Aquabumps team captain, Eugene Tan, said he and his fellow team members Paul Borrud, Tyson Millar and Matt Griggs were stoked to be a part of the OzForex SurfAid Cup.

“It's our big fundraiser for the year so we put a lot into it and we are proud to have raised $24,000 for such a worthy cause,” Tan said. “We want to help the people of the Mentawai Islands, where we all travel each year.”

The Heavyweights - corporate surfers from Citi and Westpac - came second in the fundraising, with $14,000, while Perpetual were third with $12,500. ...read more

Former ASP world surfing champion Tom Carroll has excelled in his first venture as a guest chef at the Surfing Chefs for SurfAid cocktail party in Perth’s Cottesloe Beach Hotel.

The fundraiser, in the Beach Club, was a special evening of gourmet food and outlandishly fine liquor prepared by Russell Blaikie (Must Winebar Perth) and his team of award-winning celebrity chefs, who share a common passion for surfing. Attended by 220 people, the evening raised more than $55,000 for SurfAid’s mother and child health programs in Indonesia. ...read more

Congratulations to SurfAid’s youngest ambassador, Cody Lovaas, who has added another first to his list of accomplishments. Lovaas is the youngest musician to be nominated, and then awarded, ‘Best New Artist’ at the San Diego Music Awards.

Lovaas, at just 16 years old, has been carving his niche as a musician based on his love of surfing, coastal living, song writing and philanthropy. The San Diego Music Awards ceremony, which was held this month at Humphreys by the Bay, announced Lovaas as the winner of the category in front of a room full of talented peers. He was competing against seven other popular bands and musicians who hail from the San Diego area. ...read more

Brilliant ASP World Championship Tour surfer Owen Wright is returning from the European leg of the tour to compete in the OzForex SurfAid Cup at Queenscliff Beach, Sydney, on Friday 31 October.

Wright, 24, from Culburra on the NSW South Coast, is currently ranked 12th on the WCT and training hard for a world title campaign. After debuting at seventh in his first year on tour in 2010, he finished third the following year. ...read more