When thinking of all the surf empowerment programs in the world, Surfers Not Street Children is one that quickly comes to mind. The program has changed the lives of many since its inception and has received help and recognition from notable figures such as Kelly Slater, Prince William, and even the Pope.
Now one of South Africa’s own rising stars, Luke Thompson, has created a GoFundMe to help take some of the kids to the next level. Thompson grew up on the beachfront in Durban. He moved there at 10 years old, and for the next several years, he surfed alongside the kids in the Surfers Not Street Children program, watching them grow and witnessing the program work.
Now Thompson is on the WSL Championship Tour. And some of those same kids are about to represent South Africa on the world stage.
A group of young surfers from the Surfers Not Street Children program have earned selection to represent Eastern Surfing Association at the SA Champs, where they’ll compete for a South African title, and have also been chosen to represent South Africa at the ISA World Surfing Games. It’s a remarkable achievement for any young surfer — and for kids who came up through a program designed to give vulnerable youth in Durban an alternative to life on the streets, it represents something much bigger than contest rankings.
The only thing standing between them and that opportunity is funding to get there so Thompson has launched a GoFundMe to help cover the costs of getting the team to both events, and is asking the surf community to show up and help out. “Every contribution, no matter how big or small, will make a difference and mean so much to these young surfers,” he wrote. “Let’s help them get there and give them the opportunity to chase this dream.”
For anyone who has followed Surfers Not Street Children’s work in Durban over the years, the chance to send their athletes to a world championship is exactly the kind of milestone the program was built toward. For the rest of us, it’s a chance to be part of that.
The link to donate is in Luke Thompson’s bio. Follow along with the program at @surfersnotstreetchildren.
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