If you’ve ever come to Fiji to surf and not stayed on Namotu or Tavarua, you’ll know that accessing the breaks is hard! Nearly all waves— especially the good ones— are far from the mainland. You need a car and a boat. You’ll also need a surfboard, and they’re not the easiest to come by in Fiji. With all these barriers, it’s little wonder why relatively few Fijians surf.
In comes Lea Chin and Inia Nakalevu. Lea is an American refugee who has been living in the Pacific for nearly a decade. Inia is one of Fiji’s top surfers who runs a successful charter business. Last year, they started Children of the Sea, a program focused on building leaders and creating social change through surfing. They aim to empower girls and boys by making surfing accessible, teaching water skills, and developing leadership. This program seeks to open possibilities within Fiji’s burgeoning surf industry. It’s not just driving boats and surf guiding; there’s a whole range of positions open to ocean lovers from fishing, cooking, diving, management and more.
Children of the Sea held their second Surf and Leadership Development Camp at TravelWell South Pacific in May. Sixteen kids (9 boys and 7 girls) from Nabila, Momi, Nawai, Bavu, and Nacovi participated in the camp. They surfed, worked on public speaking, communication skills, outdoor and health education, and attended water safety training. Guest trainers and guides shared their knowledge and expertise, including Dr Brooke Mason, Naomi Poscoliero and Aaron Foster (Namotu volunteers). The week finished with a mini surf comp and an awards ceremony with their parents.
“We don’t see many, if any, Itaukei Fijian girls surfing in the west. If you want to support this upcoming generation of girls (and boys), check out our GoFundMe. You can always leave boards, fins, or any surf equipment through a donation at Namotu.” – Lea Chin
Big vinaka vaka levu to Fabio Silvestre for the photos!
