An introduction to Surfing Development (Unedited Version – First Draft)
By Rehgert van Zyl
Foreword
Everything has a beginning. For most earthly matter or goods – an origin can be traced back to some form of beginning or origin. Everything comes from a source, except of course for the Divine Creator God Yahweh Elohim we read of in our Bibles.
All of our actions are birthed from a thought that is understood through a worldview. This worldview gives us a framework by which we understand our own purpose and reason for life. For some, it is the need to provide food for their family while for others it may be the need to self-actualize. You see, the importance of a worldview cannot be emphasized enough. It is how we understand and interact with those around us as well as our surroundings. It makes a difference whether you see the world as temporary or eternal? Is your viewpoint on life purely a hedonistic approach1 or is there the need to pay it forward2 for the next generation? Do you view yourself and your culture superior to others? Do you view your ‘world’ and culture as the ultimate reality and truth? These questions all influence your actions and decisions often without you even realizing it.
If everything has a beginning – even our ideas, we have to question our intentions and our actions. Why would we want to make the world a better place?
Why do you want to do make a difference in the lives of other people that you have no responsibility towards?
This idea must have come from somewhere. Before we can commence ask yourself: what will you be getting out of this?
1 engaged in the pursuit of pleasure; sensually self-indulgent 2 respond to a person's kindness to oneself by being kind to someone else
2 But among you it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant – Luke 22:26
If you are embarking on this journey of Community Development through surfing for selfish reasons, you might consider stepping away now before even starting. We are here to lead by example by serving others. The way we do outreach is to labor in faith so we might win some for His Kingdom. We are not here to build our own Kingdoms, but the Kingdom of Yahweh (God). How we do it does not matter, but the order needs to be correct. We need to glorify Him through our actions and see every individual for the potential that the Creator has placed within them.
Many NGO’s, Charities and Aid organizations see the poor as victims, projects or simply benefactors representing statistics. There are so many great organizations that are doing amazing work and my aim is not to dismiss their efforts, but reality is that most of these efforts are only focused on treating symptoms of poverty rather than dealing with the root of it. The goal is for you to see each child and person as a living-breathing miracle that contains the Divine Neshamah (Breath of God) inside of them. Each human being has been made in the ‘image and likeness of God’ (Genesis 1:27). Our job is to love, speak life and invest in the wonder that is that person.
It might start with a first push into a wave, but before we get there, we may need to change the way we view others and our understanding of the part that we play in the restoration of all things (Col 1:22)
Before we can reconcile3 people back to their Creator (salvation) we have to give them an understanding about why we need ‘saving’, where we went wrong as human beings and how the world ended up like this. It comes down to self awareness and taking responsibility for each of our actions – not merely blame shifting. We have to establish some fundamentals before we start with our major visions and missions.
3 2 Corinthians 5:16 - 21
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Background on Aleph Surf:
This resource serves as a collection of experiences Aleph Surf has accumulated through the years working in community development.
I have a degree in BA Humanities with my major being Anthropology. I was busy doing my post grad on route to my Masters in Anthropology when the call back to George, my hometown happened. I wrapped things up in July 2006 at Stellenbosch University only to start with my new position at Barts African Foundation in August of 2006. My job was a sort of ‘bridge builder’ between streetkids and the organization whose goal was to rehabilitate streetchildren.
After one year at the foundation I went to management and said we should change our approach to prevention rather that rehabilitation. Focus on neighborhoods that has higher than average social economic challenges and aim our efforts towards ‘youth at risk’. I also proposed tying in recreational activities – especially surfing into our work. This proposal was turned down, but I believed in the validity of the approach. Surfing was to be used as a tool in social change and upliftment.
The name ‘Aleph Surf’ came from the Hebrew Letter ‘Aleph’ which is the first letter of the Hebrew Alphabet. It symbolizes the beginning, it is one of the primordial building blocks of creation and thus one of the foundations on which all else is built. In Revelation 22:13 Jesus refers to Himself as the Aleph and Tav, the First and the Last. Aleph is the starting point. Aleph surf exists to help lay a foundation in the lives of youth and to give them opportunities that can enable them to be more successful in their day to day life.
In 2007 Aleph Surf started with 3 surfboards, a tiny VW Chico and a handful of stoked kids. Since then we have accumulated a lot more equipment and have grown to facilitate a lot more kids, but our approach is still quality over quantity.
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We do not claim to have all the answers. We have learned from experience and want to share this experience with you
This resource book has been divided into 3 parts:
People – understanding who we encounter
Process – the ‘in rows’ to operations and mentoring
Outcomes – what we hope to achieve through our efforts
Hopefully the concepts and material that you will encounter in here will resonate with you and help you feel more confident and empowered.
Soli Deo Gloria Rehgert van Zyl
5 TABLE OF CONTENTS
PEOPLE A biblical understanding of poverty and social challenges 8 Poverty 10 Three types of poverty 10 Excerpts of Voices of the Poor 11 How did it get this way? 13 Redemption and Restoration 17 Asset Based Community Development 20 Aid vs. Relief vs. Development 27 Surfing Aid & Development 27 Understanding People 29 Culture 29 Characteristics of Culture 30 Paternalism 32 Poverty Mentality, Victim Mentality and Empowerment 35
PROCESS Why was Aleph Program created 38 Surfing as a resource 39 Surf Development 40 Putting things in Perspective 43 Our Values 44 Benefits of the program for youth 44 The Process 44 Target Groups 47 Selection of Students 48 How program can run 49 Helpful classroom practices 50 Guidelines for a mentor / facilitator 51 Surf Coaching 52 Info on operations 54 Boundaries 55 Working with kids in difficult situations 56 Ways to discipline 57
OUTCOMES Efficiency 62 Sustainability (and ways to help achieve it) 63 Rewards and Incentives 66 Power of Words and positive reinforcement 69 Get parents involved 71 Delegation, responsibility and ownership 72 Set Goals 74 Collaborating with others 76 Finances 77 Closing 78
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PEOPLE
7 A Biblical Understanding of Poverty and Social Challenges
We recently did a beach clean up at our local beach where we present our surf lessons in Jeffreys Bay. This is the beach where most people living in our lower income housing neighborhoods and informal settlements will come to enjoy a day on the beach. After every weekend you can go on a Monday morning and like clockwork, you will find broken bottles, trash and vandalized property. We sent in our Aleph volunteers to go clean up and one of them asked me: ‘why don’t you teach the people to clean up after themselves’?
This is easier said than done. I explained that this activity of ‘cleaning up your surroundings’ is not high on the list of priorities for people coming from lower income settlements. The action of consuming alcohol and destroying a glass bottle on the beach affects 3 different groups in one moment: yourself, others and creation. Without taking in consideration that alcohol abuse in our poor communities is a problem in itself, the broken bottle endangers the safety of others and the trash and plastic harms nature. Not even with incentives or behavior modification can this type of conduct be changed on a societal level. The problem lies much deeper than only the lack of educating people. That is why so many community forums and workshops educating people to ‘clean their environment’ ends up in failure.
When someone asks you what are the causes of poverty, they will normally start ticking off items such as inequality, poor housing, unemployment, lack of income, crime and insufficient health.... But the truth is that material poverty is one only one of many different forms of poverty.
Take a page and focus on unpacking the concept of poverty until we reach the root of poverty.
• First – have the fruit of the tree represent the symptoms of poverty on an individual (personal) level.
• Secondly, work your way down towards bark of the tree .
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Think about what are some of the historical, social and political causes of poverty in your community or country?
• Finally, go down another level until you get to the root of poverty at its most fundamental level.
9 Before we, as community workers, can attempt to work with the poor, we have to acknowledge that we are also poor, we also have shortcomings and we are also in need. Acknowledging our own poverty should keep us humble, modest and in a place of gratitude – never a place of pride or superiority. pov·er·ty4 noun: 1. the state of being extremely poor. "thousands of families are living in abject poverty"
Synonoum: sypenury, destitution, pauperism, pauperdom, beggary, indigence, pennilessness,impoverishment, neediness, need, hardship, impecuniousness
"abject poverty" 1. the state of being inferior in quality or insufficient in amount. "the poverty of her imagination"
Synonoum:
Scarcity, deficiency, dearth, shortage, paucity, insufficiency, absence
THREE TYPES OF POVERTY
It is important to note that poverty is a universal problem that affects all of us. It is not bound by race, religion, geography or culture.
Mind – ignorance, superiority / inferiority, small mindedness, limited worldview, limited thinking, uneducated, lack of education, lack of knowledge
Spirit – depression, arrogance, dependency, greed, loneliness, victim mentality, blaming attitudes, blameshifting, can not take responsibility
Stomach – not enough food, shelter or clothing, basic needs
4 Google: Definition of Poverty
10 EXCERPTS FROM Voices of the Poor5:
"If you want to do something and have no power to do it, it is talauchi (poverty)." — Nigeria
"Lack of work worries me. My children were hungry and I told them the rice is cooking, until they fell asleep from hunger." — an older man from Bedsa, Egypt.
"A better life for me is to be healthy, peaceful and live in love without hunger. Love is more than anything. Money has no value in the absence of love." — a poor older woman in Ethiopia
"For a poor person everything is terrible - illness, humiliation, shame. We are cripples; we are afraid of everything; we depend on everyone. No one needs us. We are like garbage that everyone wants to get rid of." — a blind woman from Tiraspol, Moldova
"Everyday I am afraid of the next" — Russia
"Today we're fine, tomorrow they will throw us out." — Isla Trinitaria (a squatter settlement), Ecuador
"After one poor crop, we need three good harvests to return to normal." — Vietnam
"If you don't have money today, your disease will take you to your grave," — an old woman from Ghana
"The unemployed men are frustrated because they no longer can play the part of family providers and protectors. They live on the money made by their wives, and feel humiliated because of this." — an elderly woman, Uchkun village, The Kyrgyz Republic
"Nobody is able to communicate our problems. Who represents us? Nobody." — discussion group in Foua, Egypt
"[I]n the hospitals they don’t provide good care to the indigenous people like they ought to, because of their illiteracy they treat them badly … they give us other medicines that are not for the health problem you have." -- a young man from La Calera, Ecuador
5 Voices of the Poor: Narayan & Petesch: 2002 (World Bank)
11 Poverty is not merely a lack of food or resources, but more so a state of being. The shackles of poverty grip your conscious being and this influences your worldview, your self worth and your value. A person in poverty cannot move freely and their choices are limited. Poverty is a social sickness that affects the body, mind and spirit.
Let us look at reasons people (from a non-biblical worldview) give to why poverty exists. These are taken from online forums:
Some causes of poverty around the world include a lack of control over local resources, high population density, lack of access to education and marital instability. National debt, vulnerability to natural disasters and unstable food prices also contribute to poverty6
Here in the Philippines, the major cause of poverty is also the lack of quality and accessible education. People born poor are not given enough resources to sustain their schooling. As a result, they usually stop. In rural areas, schools are not getting enough funding for improvement and expansion. The fast rate of population growth here in the Philippines is not being compensated. This results in the lack of facilities like classrooms. This lack of quality and accessible education affects the capability of the citizens to have their own livelihoods. Lack of jobs is also a problem here. Companies tend to select people with higher degrees than other applicants. As a result, most people consider going out of the country just to earn money.
To solve poverty, we have to tackle the roots of the problem. Since the lack of quality and accessible education is the main cause, it must be given much attention by the people. Like what has been discussed in the past threads, the solution is not spoonfeeding the people with resources, but teaching them how to feed their own selves - Shobana7
6 https://www.reference.com/world-view/poverty-exist-7a1139906ab1df0 7 http://discuss.tigweb.org/thread/106593/why-does-poverty-exist
12 Many things could contribute the word "poverty".. One is corruption, because the corruption of the government had caused the poorness of a country. I think that is the major contributor to poverty.. Quoted by chrisllanita
Poverty exists because those that have, want more and those that have not, don't have the education, the opportunities or the help needed to climb out of the pit of poverty. Also, some don't have the drive or the need to try. – Brenda B8
Poverty exists because we all (regardless of tax bracket) are not only selfish, but ultimately self-destructive. We are a species that cannot exist without soiling our own nest and devouring our own weak until we ourselves are devoured – sdvwallingford
I added these quotes from regular people sharing their opinons on internet forums as to why poverty exists. They acknowledge that there are powers that exist outside of their control that does determine poverty. The issue I needed to highlight was presented in statements made by Brenda and sdvwallingford. You see there is a corruption and greed in man’s heart that influences our entire social spheres.
How did it get this way?
You can look at this in 2 ways.
Evolutionist Worldview: we live in a world of random events in history that has led to the world being in the state that it is. There is no God and therefore no Creator. Man evolved from a single cell and therefore our primary reason for existence is only to survive. Man is the most evolved of all species and must tame all of nature to his own benefit or gain. This leads to survival of the fittest and thus the poor end up at the lowest scale of the social spectrum due to the nature of societies, history and evolution. Life has no meaning or purpose greater than to have a good time and make sure that you and your loved ones are taken care of. There is no greater meaning or purpose than your short existence here on planet earth. There are moments where people are good to
8 https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=1006031406080
13 one another and show courtesy, but this has a limit. Ultimately we each need to secure our survival by whatever means possible.
Creationist Worldview: There is a Creator God. We were made with a purpose in mind. Genesis 1:1 is true. We know that our Creator God created everything and said that all He made is good. He says this 6 times in Genesis 1. He made us to have more than enough. He made us to have relationship with Him. Everything on this earth would live, multiply and supply to all our needs. But something went wrong. In Genesis 3:6 we see Adam and Eve (man and woman) stepped out of the boundaries God had set for them and they ate the fruit that was forbidden to them causing them to fall into sin (which the punishment for sin is death). This is where it all went wrong. A moment of pride and deceit caused the fall to take place. In a moment, history was forever rewritten and from that day God has been busy with our redemption plan.
We need to get back to time that Eden represented. We need to get back to Him.
In the mean time we live in a ‘fallen world’ where at the center of it all is man that is prideful, greedy and selfish. Our ambitions are mostly toward our own pleasure and survival. But these ambitions have caused dire conditions and imminent catastrophes. We have tried to be our own salvation and solution. This unfortunately has not worked out well. We now know that salvation can only come through the One that made us. The irony of our current reality is that the cause of the problem is trying to be the solution as well.
How can mankind be responsible for our downfall and our own salvation?
Thus, we are part of a broken system. (It is not functioning in the way it was originally intended for)
The idea behind this comes from the author of ‘When Helping Hurts’ -
First and foremost, our broken relationship with our Creator has made us to question why we are even here in the first place. Because we are cut off from Him, we don’t know where we came from or where we are heading. It has led us to question our own value and self worth and therefore we don’t respect even
14 ourself. If we can’t love and respect ourself, how can we respect others? This lead to our relationships with others to be damaged and last but not least, the creation / environment suffers because we are not stewards of it anymore, we are merely exploiting it for our own gain.
If we are to be successful in our efforts of helping people, we need to look at our entire system as a whole, not only as separate parts.
Many programs are focused on creating dialogue for peace between people groups, improving self-esteem in youth, taking care of the environment and many others. While these are good initiatives, we need to ask the question: how sustainable is this for long-term social change? Many of these initiatives only focus on the modification of behavior. We do not need more people following the social rules or norms better, we need people to have a change of heart.
15 When we align and submit our HEART back to our Creator we let go of our own ways and pursue Him. The HEART consists of the will, emotions and thoughts. We are no longer governed by these elements when we submit our Soul to Father God through Jesus and accept His Spirit in us to lead and guide us into all understanding.
| Be Reconciled to God / 2 Corinthians 5:12 – 20 |
12 For we do not commend ourselves again to you, but give you opportunity to boast on our behalf, that you may have an answer for those who boast in appearance and not in heart. 13 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; or if we are of sound mind, it is for you. 14 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.
16 Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Our job is to point people towards the Creator through what Jesus represents for us as human beings. People will not understand if they do not see and how will they see if no one shows them? God never intended for the world and the state of affairs to be like this. It is the result of us. It is because of peoples’ free choice and own will aka ego pride that the world is the state it’s in. We need a change of heart and this can only happen when we are reconciled with our Creator and Heavenly Father. After this we get to reconcile people with themselves, others and creation.
16 That is where we come in. We can impact people’s lives through what we do. The person we are and how we treat others is a reflection of His Kingdom.
We were always, and are always, meant for RELATIONSHIP.
Restoring relationships to God (YHWH) will bring us back to the beginning.
REDEMPTION & RESTORATION
Redemption is the action of saving or being saved from sin, error, or evil. It is also the action of regaining or gaining possession of something in exchange for payment, or clearing a debt. We deserved death, but someone took our place and that is grace that we can go on living.
| Ephesians 1:7 – 10 |
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him.
Restoration has to do with the rebuilding and repairing of things to its former and original state. You would notice that our slogan ‘Restoration through Recreation’ touches on this.
We now know that God has a plan. The plan is to get people back to their original state and live out their full potential no matter the socio economic status or geographical location of a person. We are part of this plan of God. However - we must understand and acknowledge that we are not the fixers, solution or saviors. We are implementers of Kingdom Strategy. We are part of our Father’s business. We follow the plans as He lays it out. All that is required is stepping out in faith and making that first connection.
17 Another key factor in redemption and restoration is the understanding of people as people, not projects or numbers. Many times NGO’s, charities, aid organizations and ministries see people as statistics for their donor reports and funders. Often times these ‘statistics’ are overlooked because of what they lack rather than the people that they ARE. Agendas can sneak in subtly and overtake the beautiful work that God is doing. If I can give you an example of an agenda: In Malawi I saw many water wells built next to mosques. I asked the locals how this works and they shared that only people that attend the mosque can make use of the wells. The agenda is to have more people visit and become members of the mosque. They know that people are in need of water and they exploit this as part of their agenda to spread a religion.
Unfortunately, Church ministries are not exempt from this.
The irony is that the people who are being helped can see these agendas from these organizations or ministries. But they are also very desperate and they will do whatever it takes to receive the handout or support from an aid group or ministry. This is what many community developers have come to know as ‘the dance of deception’. The NGO’s are pushing an agenda and the people in need of help will do and say whatever to receive the support or grant. Both parties are not always honest and transparent with each other.
The only way to combat this is to be honest and open with the community you hope to serve. We need to show people unconditional love. That is what we received. And then we each made the choice to follow. You need to invest and love on each person regardless if they become a child of God or not.
People in any society can appreciate truth. If your main goal is only to make Christian Converts then people will realize this pretty quick. But if they see that you genuinely care for their well being and their community with no strings attached, they will eventually ask the question: why are you doing this? And then the time is right to share about the source of your unconditional LOVE.
18 The tough question sometimes to ask is: would we serve and assist people in need even if they never accept Jesus? Would we be just as zealous and faithful? Would we be patient and lift people up in prayer until they ask how they may receive the Kingdom of Heaven?
Our job is not to impose our religion on people and force them to believe what we believe. We are here to propose it for those who are in need and seeking redemption.
| John 13: 34 – 35 |
A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so also you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.
Not everyone we work with will get it or be a ‘success story’. And that is ok. Our job is to plant seeds that will one day grow into fruits (Gal 5:22-23). Some seeds make it, others don’t. It is here where we give it over to our Creator Abba Father and have faith that He will make it grow and have life in due time. See it this way: everyone you have served, loved and shared truth with can never stand before God’s throne one day and say: ‘we never heard’ or ‘no one ever showed us’.
As much as possible through the Spirit of God, we must talk and live out the Kingdom to all people of all backgrounds, cultures and tongues.
Let us Love and Serve each one that comes our way regardless if they choose Jesus or not – always hoping, trusting ad believing that they may follow and love our beloved Messiah!
19 ASSET BASED COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT (ABCD)
When approaching communities we have to look through a ‘worldview’. Remember the glasses through which you look at the world? Well, when you engage with social services to people in need you either approach it form the point of view of ‘needs assessment’ or ABCD. In needs assessment aid workers would ask community members to list all of the problems, challenges and their needs. The community members are seen as victims or beneficiaries that are at the receiving end of material goods or supplies. While this aid helps temporarily, the cycle of poverty continues as the community often becomes dependent on outsiders for help and foreign aid.
As Aleph, we believe in the ABCD Model.
The beauty of this model is looking at we have right now in our midst to use for good. We don’t not look at what we don’t have – but what we do have! Often we are geared in thinking that we need certain things or resources before we can engage in social change. We tend to forget that the basis of everything is relationship. The first thing we can do is show interest in people. From there we can start making plans together. If you only come in to the ‘help the poor’ and supply in their material needs you will always be seen as superior to the community and be the giver. Our role is to create opportunities for the community and to empower them. What ABCD also does is make you realize the incredible stories of strength and perseverance within these communities and that people here have great potential. They are not just welfare cases. They have worth, value and a voice.
Our friends at IKhala Trust compiled an incredible guide that summarizes the most important aspects of ABCD. Here is a chapter I included that summarizes these aspects.
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26 AID vs. RELIEF vs. DEVELOPMENT
Aid can be described as short term or long term monetary, medical or resourceful assistance to country or community embattled in poverty, feminine or political turmoil. Often these aid recipients are very isolated and unable to take care of their basic needs. They become dependent on the aid and support of external parties. Aid is not sustainable. When external parties discontinue to support and send aid, locals will be back in the same place as when the aid began – no options and unable to meet basic needs.
Relief comes in handy during sudden natural disasters, war or similar catastrophes. Because of unusual circumstance people are unable to meet basic needs. That is when relief teams and relief aid is helpful to assist people until they are back on their feet. Relief is a short term solution and assistance. Example of relief is the medicine, food and water that are sent to places after hurricanes destroyed homes and towns.
Development is a long term investment into communities. Development’s ultimate goal is to see people willing and able to take care of themselves, their basic needs and run their own economies. Education, skills development and job creation are key factors that need to be implemented to incubate successful development. Development has to do with the old saying – give a man a fish and you feed him for the day. Teach a man to fish, and he feeds himself. You can even take a step further and help show the man how to make a fish farm so he always has a supply of fish to eat and sell!
Surfing, Aid and Development
Option 1: Aid
Giving poor kids in struggling or poor economies a free surfboard seems like a good idea, especially for surf companies and aid organizations who want to ‘do good’. The reality of giving a child an $800 surfboard is actually absurd, as some of these kids can’t even afford a loaf of bread for the day. The idea of giving might seem genuine and laden with good intentions, but dropping off the board and not showing them how to steward or value this will not help the child’s future. It will create dependency. The board often will not be maintained and fall apart, break or be sold off. The child can learn and become conditioned to stay
27 in a perpetual state of poverty to avoid responsibility of working or earning their own equipment. This is the result of ill managed aid.
Option 2: Development
Development is building relationship with the child. Development is allowing them use your boards and you showing them how to treat it value the equipment otherwise they will lose the privilege of using it. Development is showing them how to repair the boards and rinsing off equipment and storing it correctly. The child will have the opportunity to work and earn his/her own board and surf gear. By the time they are ready to receive it, they will understand the value of what they have worked for, steward it and most important be thankful for what
Option 1 is easy and requires no input, but it creates more harm than good and will create more dependency and poverty.
Option 2 takes a lot of hard work and discipline but creates character, integrity and independence. This is the most sustainable option and will also help you as facilitator to be better protected and allow you to enable, not to disable.
28 UNDERSTANDING PEOPLE
Culture
‘you won’t understand until you have walked a mile in my shoes’
As an Anthropologist (someone who studies culture) you always try and see the world from the perspective of someone else. You have to try and imagine that are standing inside of their shoes. You often ask the question: what would it be like if I was this this person?
Often the reason we struggle to connect with other people is because we expect everyone to act or think like we do. We only look at the world in black and white as right or wrong, our way or the highway – I want you to add another category to this: different. Some things in life are just different and that is ok.
In order to understand other people and make sure we are sensitive to their ways, beliefs and understanding we need to understand culture.
WHAT IS CULTURE?
Broadly, social heritage of a group (organized community or society). It is a pattern of responses discovered, developed, or invented during the group's history of handling problems which arise from interactions among its members, and between them and their environment. These responses are considered the correct way to perceive, feel, think, and act, and are passed on to the new members through immersion and teaching. Culture determines what is acceptable or unacceptable, important or unimportant, right or wrong, workable or unworkable. It encompasses all learned and shared, explicit or tacit, assumptions, beliefs, knowledge, norms, and values, as well as attitudes, behavior, dress, and language.
29 CHARACTERISTICS OF CULTURE
Cultural Anthropology explains that there are four basic characteristics of culture. • Culture is shared by a group of people (that constitutes a society); • Culture is learned rather than biologically inherited from parents; • Culture is based on symbols such as a cross, an image, an object of worship, etc; • Culture is an integration of economic, political and social aspects.
Culture has several other characteristics too.
• It is neither the outcome of individual attempts nor the impact of a particular phase of history but evolves through the ages. It is an invaluable inheritance of uncountable experiences, experiments and endeavors. People, families, societies and civilizations develop; change or end with the flow of time but culture is not built or changed in one era. It is nurtured in the infinite lap of time, age after age. It enfolds innumerable phases of rise, fall, obstructions, destructions, reconstructions, trends and tides of the social, national and global history, and geographical, economical, political scientific, artistic, psychological and spiritual developments.
• Culture is the cornerstone of any race or society. Social traditions, arts, festivals, rituals, the way of life and the values of community are shaped on the foundation of its culture. Any disruption in the flow of cultural values alters the structure of a society or civilization. The supplanting of culture shatters the roots of civilization because civilization is an external expression of culture. The traditions, conduct, behavior and ethics of a society depict the external face of its culture. Therefore culture and civilization are interlinked. Civilization manifests the nature of culture while culture is the source of sustenance and expansion of civilization. The future of any society or nation thus depends upon the harmony between its culture and civilization.
30 • Cultural values lay the foundations of growth, development and prosperity of human life. The place of the culture of one’s society and nation in the welfare of one’s life is as vital as the genes of one’s parents involved in the creation of one’s body. Culture nourishes and shapes the progress of human life. Remove culture from the life of a person and he will be left feeling very lost and confused. The flow of cultural values and civilization orients the direction of one’s life; if a person isolates himself or diverts from it, he would reach nowhere. Therefore knowing our civilization and cultural heritage and learning to adopt its values is necessary for every one of us.
• Different races, societies and nations have their own specific culture Because of variations in the historical circumstances, philosophies and modes of life, specialties of personal and social life, geographical conditions, the extent of the development of science and others fields of knowledge, etc. This cultural diversity is natural. Still each culture has certain foundational elements that are universal because of which it maintains its identity. The more these timeless, superlative values are present in the core of a culture, the greater would be its expansion and effects. A culture would exist and expand with immortal glory because of its universal relevance even though nations may be born on or wiped out from the map of the globe and societies and civilizations may rise and fall. Cultures emanating from selfish motives and fanatic or narrow ideologies cannot stand the test of time. They inflate and burst like bubbles in due course.
• The worth of a culture depends upon the eternity, universality and absolute truth of its foundational elements. On their basis, it can spread in all directions at all times. The enduring relevance of a culture also depends upon how progressive it is. Culture in its most natural form is like an ever flowing current of a river that overcomes or embraces every obstacle and adjusts its direction accordingly without stopping its flow. It should be noted that some ancient convictions, rigid principles, traditions or customs alone couldn’t be regarded as culture. A culture, which is not open and adaptive
31 to the progressive trends as per the needs of the time, remains backward and gets lost in the mist of time.
Good cultural awareness includes learning to value other societies and respecting its cultural boundaries. These next points are only applicable if you are an outsider/foreigner to the culture you are trying to connect with:
ü Be Open Minded ü Be Patient ü Be Flexible ü Get involved ü Respect Cultural Norms ü Study History ü Ask Questions ---Don’t ACT like you know everything or impose your own views from the get go ü Remember you are a visitor and observer initially ü Learn from the culture and people, don’t try come in and try and change things from the get go. ü Don’t give handouts. ü Be Faithfull to your Word--- Don’t say you’ll do something and then you don’t
PATERNALISM (doing things for others they could be doing for themselves)
This boundary gets overstepped due to ignorance. All people who are able bodied are able to do activities and work for themselves should do so. The only time that you should do work for people are those who are elderly or disabled. The fact of the matter is that the obligation to serve our neighbor gets confused with doing the work for our neighbor while sit on the sidelines and watch us. This can happen in our line of work where a staff member might carry the surfboard for the child after the surf because the child could be tired. If the staff member does this every week the child will learn / become conditioned that the staff / volunteer will carry their board automatically and therefore they don’t have to do it anymore. This can also happen when aid organizations go to build
32 or paint poor peoples’ homes, while the benefactors sit on the side and wait for the work to be completed.
I will use an extracts from the book ‘When Helping Hurts’ by Corbett & Fickert (109-113: 2012)
There is a good rule of thumb that is extremely useful in cutting through a lot of complexity when it comes to poverty alleviation: avoid paternalism.
DON’T DO THINGS FOR PEOPLE THAT THEY CAN DO FOR THEMSELVES
Memorize this, recite it under your breath all day long and wear it like a reminder around your wrist. Every time you are engaged in poverty alleviation ministry, keep this at the forefront of your mind for it can keep you from doing all sorts of harm.
Paternalism comes in variety of forms:
Resource Paternalism: Many Western institutions view the solution to poverty in material terms and tend to pour financial and other material resources into situations in which the real need is for the local people to steward their own resources. In addition, legitimate local businesses can be undermined when outsiders bring in surch things such as free clothes or building supplies, undercutting the price that these local businesses need in order to survive.
Spiritual Paternalism: Many of us assume that we have a lot to teach the materially poor and that we should be the ones preaching from the pulpit, teaching the devotion or leading the Bible School. We do have much to share out of our knowledge and experiences, but oftentimes the materially poor have an even deeper walk with God and have insights and experiences that they can share and teach us, if we would just stop talking and listen.
Knowledge Paternalism: This occurs when we assume that we have all the best ideas about how to do things. As a result, the materially poor need us to think for them concerning best way to plant crops, to operate their businesses or to cure diseases. Handling
33 knowledge is a very tricky area in poverty alleviation because the truth is that we often do have the knowledge that can help the materially poor. But we must recognize that the materially poor also have a unique insights into their own cultural contexts and are facing circumstances that we do not understand very well.
Labor Paternalism: This happens when we do work for people that they could do for themselves.
Managerial Paternalism: Many of us love to see things happen as quick and efficient as possible. We often plan, manage and direct initiatives in local communities when people in those communities could do these things quite well already. The structure and pace might be different if the low-income communities undertook the project themselves, but they could do the job nonetheless.
There are reasons why low income communities why people there don’t take the reins and manage the projects themselves:
- They do not need to take charge because they know that we will take charge if they wait long enough - They lack the confidence to take charge - They have also internalized the messages of centuries of colonialism, slavery and racism: Caucasians run things and everyone else follows. - They do not want the project to happen as much as we do - They know that by letting us run the show it is more likely that we will bring in the money and other material resources to give them.
Steps to successfully help other without creating paternalism:
- Speak to the community - Motivate them about the goals of the project - Get the individual, family or community involved - Show them how to do the specialized work or activity - Work alongside them - Show them how to maintain and continue with the activity / work - Check in with the individual, family or community on a regular basis and give support or advice where needed
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There may be times when you may have to do some community work alone as people might be reserved or apathetic to engage or get involved with your efforts.
Remember that there will be times when you need to lead by example.
If you have feel that your efforts are not making an impact, that people do not want to engage or that they expect you to do the work for them, you have the right to move on. Remember the expression: ‘ dust off your feet and move on’.
POVERTY MENTALITY, VICTIM MENTALITY, EMPOWERMENT
During the previous pages you may have seen the abovementioned words come up a few times. It is important that we dedicate space to unpack these three concepts.
Poverty Mentality: This can be described as a form of disability or poverty of the spirit. It is the self belief that an individual is destined for poverty and is meant to always live in a perpetual state of need and sorrow. What this does is make the person believe that they are never going to accomplish anything and that welfare or aid from others is the only way to survive. People who suffer from a poverty mentality are often dependent on others and have very limited options in life. Attempting to break free from this belief is very difficult as poverty mentality goes hand in hand with low self-esteem, low sense of worth and believing that they don’t deserve good things in life. Individuals, families and even whole communities can suffer from poverty mentality.
Victim mentality9 is an acquired (learned) personality trait in which a person tends to regard him or herself as a victim of the negative actions of others, and
9 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victim_mentality
35 to behave as if this were the case even in the lack of clear evidence of such circumstances. Victim mentality depends on habitual thought processes and attribution. In some cases, those with a victim mentality have in fact been the victim of wrongdoing by others or have otherwise suffered misfortune through no fault of their own; however, such misfortune does not necessarily imply that one will respond by developing a pervasive and universal victim mentality where one frequently or constantly believes oneself to be a victim.
The term is also used in reference to the tendency for blaming one's misfortunes on somebody else's misdeeds, which is also referred to as victimism.
Victim mentality is primarily learned, for example, from family members and situations during childhood.
Empowerment10 is based on the idea that giving employees skills, resources, authority, opportunity, motivation, as well as holding them responsible and accountable for outcomes of their actions will contribute to their competence and satisfaction.
Empowerment11 can be defined in general as the capacity of individuals, groups and/or communities gain control of their circumstances and achieve their own goals, thereby being able to work towards helping themselves and others to maximize the quality of their lives. In health and social care empowerment means patients, careers and service users exercising choice and taking control of their lives. It is not that one is empowered means he or she become all powerful like God. Even if we are empowered still we have limitation. Actual meaning of empowerment is that one feels that he or she able and feels powerful enough in certain situations to take part in decision-making.
10 Read more: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/empowerment.html 11https://www.ukessays.com/essays/social-work/defining-and-understanding-empowerment-social-work-essay.php
36
PROCESS
37 Why was the Aleph Program created?
The Aleph Surf Program began because of time I spent with youth at risk who were living on the streets in South Africa. Through the continuous interaction with these young ones, it became evident that there were definite unmet needs in their lives. What made these youths living on the streets different was that they acted out on their shortcomings by seeking for love, acceptance and independence in different places. These youths come from low income, deviant neighborhoods that are plagued by crime, addiction and limited service delivery. Many youths in the townships and lower social structures harbor the idea of leaving home and being independent. And this is where the problem arises. Youths are not meant to be independent when they are still children.
Let us look at the example drawn from surfing:
Surfing is a lot like life. Or life is a lot like surfing. It is impossible to just go out and start surfing. You need experience, maturity and knowledge. You have to be aware of the elements around you. Be cautious. Be aware. You must be able to have confidence in yourself and your abilities. You have to overcome certain challenges that stand between yourself and reaching your current goal before you can set the next one. Only when you overcome the current challenge can you set the next one. As you learn to overcome challenges and acquire more wisdom about elements around you, you become more mature and more experienced. One of the most fundamental and necessary ingredients in this is that you need someone to show you how surfing is done. A surf coach who has been surfing for many years knows how to surf, what to look out for and what to do in various situations. The surf coach makes the learning process much easier.
The same may be applied to life and decision-making. Children are faced with adult challenges and adult concepts when they are still just children. We aim to make youths aware that they need to develop in natural ways and to take every day as it comes. In this project the ‘surf coach’ is in essence the life coach.
38 SURFING AS A RESOURCE
Why Surfing?
Surfing is an incredible tool and we recognize the value that this ‘sport’ can have. Surfers have for a long time had a bad reputation and has been overlooked as a waste of time. But we should not write off things that easily:
| 1 Corinthians 1:27 | But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
The idea of surfing does not make sense to many, but once you see it all comes together. And once you have tried it, it makes the most sense!
In the ocean everyone is equal. There is no race, class, culture, or language that divides. It is a common ground where we can meet each other on regardless of who you are. The most powerful factor is that once we step in the ocean we are all equally vulnerable. We are at the mercy of the ocean and the waves and must take what comes our way. We can not create waves or force the issue, but rather be content with what we have and make the best of what we receive. We do however, have faith and the knowing that the waves will be perfect soon enough.
Another reason we use surfing is because it teaches you about yourself. It makes you identify your limitations, realize your fears and shows you what you are really capable of. You learn about nature and grow in appreciation for the richness of our planet. Best of all you spend time outside with friends!
There are 3 moving elements that need to align for the perfect ride. - the person - the board - the wave
39
If one of these elements is missing, it won’t be surfing.
To be able to live a full life, a human being needs to have a healthy body, mind and spirit. Life without the balance and alignment of all these elements will be out of sync.
The above example brings me to my final point on why we chose surfing. Analogies.
Surfing is a life long journey just as life. You have to go through all the ups and down to experience it in its full glory. There is always something new to learn.
SURF DEVELOPMENT:
‘the great and the not so great’
Over recent years surfing has exploded all over the world. It has come a long way from a fringe movement rooted in anti-establishment motives – to now having an International Surf Association (ISA), World Surf League (WSL) and popularity on a global scale. Last year Surfing was also included in the Olympic Games. When Aleph Started in started in 2006 / 7 we were part of only a handful of active surf development agencies, but over the last few years it has become very popular and trendy to make surfing accessible to the poorest of the poor. Surf companies have also capitalized on this trend of social responsibility / investment and today, many companies sponsor young surfers from disadvantaged communities. For the sport and kids around the globe this is a huge opportunity, but it also has a negative side to it.
This is the dichotomy of surf development.
I have to begin with the ‘not so great’ so that you are not ignorant about the possible negative effects surf culture could have on individuals. Surfing is a middle – upper class sport that is connected to affluence and wealth. Expensive
40 equipment and travel makes it hard for lower social groups to pursue surfing. The reality is that surfing does not put food on your table or money in your bank account. Unless you are of the 0,1% that can make it as a professional surfer or you are able to make a living via the surf industry, surfing will only be a recreational activity to you. I have seen the good and bad that surfing can do to kids and we as leaders need to be aware of this. For many kids, surfing is seen as an escape out of their circumstances. They believe that they can become a professional, pick up sponsorships and hang out on the beach all day. I have also seen how surfing has negatively influenced developing countries through exposing local people to unsustainable Western Lifestyles and Ideals.
Imagine yourself as a young child growing up in a village by a remote beach and living a life of subsistence and basics. You live of the land and the ocean and surviving means working together. You see waves breaking, but you do not really know the full potential of the waves that loom in front of you each day. Suddenly, people of different language, different skin colors and different economical backgrounds roll into town with nice cars, food and money. They are able to do things on waves that you never knew possible; they live excessively and wear clothes that you have never seen! Wouldn’t you also be mesmerized by these travelers and the things that they have? No need to fish, work the lands, fetch water or do any tasks…..only ride the waves, eat, drink and relax. This is how many traveling surfers are seen and perceived.
For the locals, and especially the kids, his need of and desire for ‘western ideals’ has in many cases caused discontent in their own way of life and dependency on the outsiders. Many disadvantaged kids may come to believe that if they can rip, they will get this life or get sponsored. School and family take a backseat in order to achieve the dream of stardom. Let me give a case study:
Christiano* was a very talented young surfer from the townships of Jeffreys Bay. He lives in a low-income area that has high unemployment and many social problems. But Christiano had a natural gift for surfing and progressed very fast. He came from humble beginnings in that he surfed with hand me down wetsuits and boards. In due time, Christiano was told by stakeholders in competitive
41 surfing circles that he should enter surf comps and that he has the potential to go far in surfing. He was quickly scooped up by a major surf sponsor and received new boards and gear on a regular basis. The dream of becoming a pro surfer was now a reality and surfing went from a hobby to an obsession. Christiano’s parents also saw surfing as his way out, but are not active busy in his personal decisions. At the time, school seemed unnecessary as surfing would be his career, which led to the decision to leave school. Although he did well in contests, he never won major events. His background was a major negative determinant; he was always at a disadvantage against the wealthier competitive surfers who had more access to coaches, equipment and traveling. Christiano also did not have good role models or a mentor and became involved with the wrong crowd. Underage drinking and recreational drug use followed. In time he became older, less relevant and the realization that professional surfing would not be his destiny sunk in. His sponsors dropped him and no longer was surf equipment accessible. Christiano did not have any education or skills to fall back on and did not want to take a minimum wage job. Eventually Christiano stopped surfing, became dependent on substances and lost his drive for life. He had become another unemployed statistic and another nameless faceless shadow of what could have been.
I believe that Christiano’s outcome could have been avoided. It was not competitive surfing’s fault, but the combination of all of the above situations. If he was mentored by someone, kept in school, worked for his own equipment and had an honest view of the surfing world, he would not have had that outcome. He should have been coached on how to be a strong man of principle that can take care of his family and community one day. Your identity and destiny can not be found in surfing or your material wealth or possessions. We have to divide the line between the truth and lie of the surfing world that is promoted to our youth on a global scale.
The character of a person is not found in his surfing abilities, but in the measure of his / her integrity.
42 For me, the goal of surf development is not to make every surfer a duplicate of the surf communities in California or Australia and create ‘new emerging markets’. Currently, surfing is a very globalized movement. I believe that surfing should be woven into the already existing cultural fabric of that people and allow them to dictate their own surf culture.
Our desire is to see the rich diversity of cultures and people groups expressed in their own surf culture that is founded on the principles of:
- sharing with one another - taking care of each other - encouraging one another - viewpoint of surfing as a privilege and not a right - contentment and abolition of comparison - stewardship and maintenance of resources and environment - promotion of sustainability and independence of locals and their economy - strive for healthy families and communities - the esteem of character over ability - a SURF CULTURE based on the Kingdom of God!
The hope is that the ocean is the catalyst where these principles may be translated onto life on the land. It is exciting to think that surfing can be used as an agent of social change to transform lives where it matters most.
And all of this through a piece of foam covered in fiberglass and resin.
PUTTING THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE
It’s easy to start something, but to know why and how takes awareness.
When Aleph began it was important to know why we were needed, what our values are and what we will add to the youth we help.
43 For us, values are important because it helps support the vision, shape the culture of Aleph and reflect what our organization stands for.
OUR VALUES
• Servanthood - we come in the spirit of serving others • Love - putting others needs above our own • Encouragement – we believe in culture of support and encouragement • Quality over Quantity - we focus on less so we can do more • Commitment - once we start we don’t stop • Continuity - consistent operations over long period of time • Transformation - we want to see change for the better from we started • Recreation - we want those we help to have fun and enjoy themselves
BENEFITS OF THE PROGRAM FOR YOUTH
Improvement of Worldview - Children will have a chance to expand their worldview through surfing. Surfing allows children to ‘dream’ and to learn about the big, adventurous world we live in. They will also realize the opportunities that are available in this world for them to take. Surfing is a global tribe and you get to meet people from all over the world through it.
Educational – We acknowledge that education is a key foundation of development. Teaching people one of our key fundamentals. We focus on afterschool care, tutoring, and lifeskills. Lifeskills revolve around . Children will be empowered to make positive and healthy choices independently.
Preventative – It has been said that prevention is better than the cure. We believe that we can curb ignorance by showing, teaching and warning. Through our learn to swim and surf lessons we hope to bring down the high mortality rate that occurs from the drowning of children at beaches and public swimming areas. Most children from the townships and poor communities that drown is a result of the lack of people who can show, coach and teach children to swim and
44 to educate safety measures. We also recognize that many of our youth fall victim to drug and alcohol addiction. We are here to inform so youth don’t get hurt unknowingly, but can make informed choices whether right or wrong.
Recreational – Children will learn to swim. They will be more fit and confident and their health will improve. Children will learn to surf and those who show potential and commitment towards the surfing will be coached so that they are ready to participate in surfing contests and ultimately represent South Africa in the surfing world circles! Some of our students have gone to the South African Surfing Championships.
Sense of belonging- Youth will feel a sense of belonging when they are part of the Aleph Surf Program. We accept and love them the way they are and we want to share our lives with them. Belonging to Aleph improves their self worth and identity in a way that is contagious.
Social Reconciliation - There are so many issues that divide people nowadays. Surfing a great tool as the common language we can speak to help bridge the gap.
Living out and sharing the GOSPEL – Our biggest heart desire is that all the people we come in contact with will enter into a living relationship with their Creator and Savior. The HOPE is that they may know what it means to live a life of purpose, be partakers of the Kingdom of Heaven and inherit eternal life!
THE PROCESS
Contact – Activity – Relationship – Mentorship
What makes strangers friends and even mentors and mentees?
Most people are quite reserved and if you add cultural or social differences into the mix, the challenge to build relationship will prove to be even harder.
45 Children are reluctant to open up or share their thoughts and feelings with adults, especially if they don’t even know how to!
There needs to be a reason or motivation for kids to want to engage with you. Children are naturally curious and are usually up for some new adventure or something new to try out. But, the initial contact / offer needs to be alluring / enticing for them.
That is where surfing comes in. Surfing is the means by which we can make contact. We also make use of art and other forms of creatives to engage with. We usually start with making surf lessons available to the community and setting up a time and schedule.
Once the candidates are set, the activity can start taking place. The activity is the action part of what we do. It is here where we communicate instructions and where students need to learn to listen and trust. At this stage, trust is not established yet. Trust is earned after a period of time. The activity of surfing and weekly meetings sets the foundation of trust.
After a period of time where you as a coach / facilitator has been actively working with the students, they will have gotten to the place of getting to know you and seeing more of you, your personality and character. Contact and activity has laid the groundwork for relationship to be established. Relationship is the ongoing link, bond or connection that people have. Once the relationship has been established, it needs time to grow.
The final part of the process is mentorship. Another word that can be used is discipleship. Mentorship is a relationship in which a more experienced or more knowledgeable person helps to guide a less experienced or less knowledgeable person. The mentor may be older or younger than the person being mentored, but she or he must have a certain area of expertise. A mentor is a guide who can help the mentee to find the right direction and who can help them to develop solutions to career issues. Mentors rely upon having had similar experiences to gain empathy with the mentee and an understanding of their
46 issues. It is important to note that the previous steps of the process need to be achieved before we can effectively start with the mentoring process.
TARGET GROUPS
It is important for you to consider and be very specific with your target group. There are too many people with too many needs in the world to address all of it and for you working in community development, this can become overwhelming when we try to do everything. We cannot help everyone, but we can help those we have been called to and be faithful to.
Our target groups are youths from disadvantaged communities that are predominantly between the ages of 12-16. This includes boys and girls. This age group is not exclusive, but it is the one we found where youth start to formulate their identities the most and can begin to grasp concepts of self and others. In some instances you may go younger and start at 10 years of age.
You also have to consider the numbers you work with. The saying ‘less is more’ really applies to our form of outreach. Aleph focuses on quality over quantity. Resources and time are limited and we want to give an excellent experience and to those we work with. We recognize that to achieve strong individuals and leaders, our investment requires more individual input. It will also help you as a leader / mentor to be present with the students and form strong relationship and trust over long periods of time.
Our rule of thumb is 8 students per group x 2 mentors
It is also important for you to differentiate between these two groups:
- those attending a school/ educational institution - those who have left, dropped out or never went to school
This differentiation will determine your times of meeting, requirements and your approach.
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SELECTION OF STUDENTS
Where do you make contact and how do I select who is part and who is not?
This is the question I get asked the most during my sessions with people. Remember that we cannot help everyone, but we can start somewhere. The good news is that you only need one to start off with, but ultimately learning together as a community is the best. Before you begin, you will need to decide where this type of outreach will be the most impactful. This can be done by asking the community about the areas where they would like to see kids receive an opportunity like this. This will help with getting the community’s perspective on things if you are an outsider. We have found that focusing on a specific geographical area where the least amount of opportunities exists is usually a good place to start. The meaning of geographical location refers to a place where children live close to each other or socialize together on a daily basis. This way you can easily locate children if you ever need to during the course. Thus, you can focus on a specific street, school, neighborhood or community. Remember that social change is the goal here and for this to be achieved, we need the wider community’s voice to be part of this process. Ask teachers, foster parents, social workers etc. We only see the kids for a few hours each day, but they live by one another, socialize and go to school together. They have a far greater ability to encourage each other to stay on the right track of life. Remember also that when selecting students – less is more. We don’t want to be exclusive, but we do want to promote the belief that being part of this program has some esteem and value. So that is why once the numbers are full, new candidates must wait for the next intake or wait until one of the students ‘drop out’.
Once initial contact has been made, the following steps can be followed:
- A short interview can be conducted with a prospective student - During this interview the profile needs and information can be filled in - A permission / consent form needs to be given to the child. The parent or guardian needs to fill it in. We need consent from parents.
48 - Once the form has been returned the student will be notified of his / her first session
HOW THE PROGRAM CAN RUN
It is best to run it continuous over weeks that coincide with the schools academical year. We do not run surf sessions during exam / test times so that students can focus on study (and do we don’t get blamed when they failed). During school holidays students are encouraged to continue as well.
The way the course is presented consists of two environments: the classroom and the beach.
The Classroom This is where the life skills part of the program is presented. It is good to be able to have a venue where students can sit in a more ‘formal’ setting. This can be in the form of a classroom, office facilities, container office, garage converted into learning area, church hall or any place that is central and can work – even under trees or in parks. Please make sure that this time is more intentional with the students in educating them. You want a space that is conducive for speaking with as little distractions as possible.
The Beach This is where the surfing lessons are presented. This is a place by your local surfing community that is safe to learn to surf and has an easy point of access for the youths to reach.
Timeframe of Lessons
Remember that these are only guidelines that will help you to manage groups and times better. You are welcome to adjust to this.
The best way to do the lesson is to set aside at least 3 hours per session. A typical 3 Hour session can look like this:
49 Waiting and Welcoming Everyone. 30 minutes. Use this time to check in and hear how the day or week has gone. Socialize.
Time guideline for Life Skills: The next hour will be spent on doing the lifeskill lesson. 30 minutes to go through the material. 15 minutes for questions and discussion. 15 minutes to do personal reflection questions. Depending on the concentration span of the kids, the time might need to
Time guideline for Surf Lesson: The last hour and half can be dedicated to surfing. Make sure to be strict with the amount of time they need to get into their wetsuits and get to the beach.
- 10 minutes: get into wetsuits, get the boards ready and head to the beach assembly point. - 5 - 10 minutes for stretching, short run and push ups before the surf. - 5 - 10 minutes to go over the surf lesson and safety aspects for the day - 1 – 1.5 hours of time spent in water surfing. Depending on coach time surfing may be extended.
HELPFUL CLASSROOM PRACTICES
First of all, you need to be aware of the following
• The concentration span of students are limited • They are easily distracted • They like to find hierarchy concerning them and with facilitators • They will push the boundaries with you • Working with people is ‘messy’ and does not always go as planned • Although it might not seem as though they are listening, they are in their own way
You must understand that not all of the students are going to give you their 100% attention for the whole lesson. That is why you need to keep the session interactive. During the classroom sessions ask feedback from the students. Ask them what they think about a specific theme or concept. Use some examples that some of the kids may identify with. Make sure when speaking to a
50 specific group speak in a way they can understand and follow train of thought with you. What is meant with this is to not present a university type lecture to a group of primary school kids.
The way the facilitator presents the Aleph lecture does not need to correspond with the workbook word for word. As long as the theme and message of the lesson is conveyed, the session is sufficient.
GUIDELINES FOR A MENTOR / FACILITATOR
• The mentor is there because of the kids. It is not the other way around. The mentor is there to help and lead them • Be confident about yourself, your role and responsibilities as a leader in the classroom • Always be consistent. Be on time. Be prepared. Be confident. Be firm. In all you do, be consistent, the young ones are keeping a very firm eye on you • Make sure you are intentional with what you say when presenting a lecture • Discipline is a good thing. Read more on this in our ‘DISCIPLINE’ section • If you are wanting to say something, but you are doubtful about it, rather not say it • Each student has a voice. Be sure to listen to the feedback and questions when students speak.
Consistency and Routine is key. Allocate the same board and wetsuit to each kid each week. Number them. Teach stewardship.
Be firm when approaching certain disciplinary steps. Quiet students when they are being loud. When students do not want to cooperate, send them out of the classroom. Withholding the opportunity to surf is also adequate punishment. Students who do not want to cooperate can sit a lesson on the beach while the others surf. Through this, uncooperativeness becomes cooperation very quick.
51 SURF COACHING
This is the other part of our outreach and one that people really enjoy to experience. This is where we allow our students to have fun and experience the wonderful gift of surfing. Remember that the surf coach lays the foundation for the future surfers. They look up to the coach for guidance, help and affirmation. For many of the students it might be the first time that they enter the ocean. So keep in mind to be patient and loving to the students. You as the coach are responsible for the lives of these students. One of the golden rules is SAFETY FIRST. If it looks too risky, messy or currents are too strong, then rather cancel the lesson and do other beach activities or physical training. Be rather over cautious than push the limits of safety.
Students might have fears about surfing. Don’t try pushing them too much. Help encourage them step by step to help gain confidence. Remember that a person has to crawl before they can walk. When students show a lot of fear, pray with them! Surfing South Africa Format for Surf Lessons: Aleph Surf International follows the ISA / SSA format for doing surf coaching. There is a checklist that needs to be followed when doing the surf lesson. These documents are included in the Training Guide.
The BUDDY System: Team 2 students together for the duration of the programme. These two will help each other when surfing, carrying equipment and supporting each other in the water. They will also need to learn how to be accountable to each other.
Guidelines for Surf Lessons: - Run surf lessons at beaches that are beginner friendly. Make sure the waves are not too intimidating, the currents not too strong and also no other threats like reef or sharp objects in the area - Make sure you know the specific surf spot well. Know where the rips run and where dangerous areas are
52 - Set Up a perimeter when giving surf lessons. Set Up flags where students need to stay in between when doing the surf lessons - Always explain the safety procedures to students - Make sure students ask permission to leave the surf. Keep everyone together and know where everyone is at all times - The ratio of coach to student is 1:4. Depending on temperament and level of experience for the coach, ratios can be amended - If you want to see your students progress, make sure you have a set plan for the session - Make sure your comments are not too critical, but more encouraging - When coaching BE VERY FOCUSED. Things can happen very quickly in the ocean. - Have a First Aid Kit or box close to the surf lessons at all times - Have the students treat equipment with respect. Make sure they rinse of all of the wetsuits with fresh water and have them fold it neatly into - bucket or hung up on line.
Lay Out For Lessons: Lessons 1-5 : Practice the Stand Up Lessons 6: Teach the Duck Dive Lessons 7-8: Explaining of Catching Unbroken wave for those who are ready Lessons 9-12: Practice and Progress Lessons 13 – Improve surfing
Back Up Plans (for when surf is not happening): Push Ups, Scissors, Sit Ups (Usual good cardio exercises) Beach Run Flag Run (Lifeguard Exercise) Swimming laps in a tide pool Always have a soccer ball close by Be creative! Remember that you as a coach is part of the team, so be involved and partaking in activities as much as possible
53 INFORMATION ON OPERATIONS
There are many things you will experience while working with youth at risk. Here are some pieces of wisdom to keep in mind while working with youth at risk:
- Students are often not used to a lot of material wealth or goods. Be culturally sensitive when going into areas where they live. Make sure when you interact with them that you don’t wear to flashy clothes or accessories. You want to be a friend to them, not a stumbling block. - Make sure you don’t have favoritism. When you give something to one, make sure you can give it to everyone equally. When favoritism occurs; trust, respect and unity will be compromised in the work you are trying to do. - Always be consistent in what you teach, say and how you behave - Always be sure to counsel / consults with team members when you need to do something for or go with the a specific child / student - Never get angry or physically abusive with students - You will need a lot of patience with this job. Never resort to sarcasm or being rude - Don’t expect gratitude from the students or community from the get go - Never take anything personal. A lot of times the kids will say or do hurtful things to you as well. Remember that you are there to change their worldview and culture for the better, but it will come at a price. The work you do is already much more than most people would ever do in their life! - Start off with small manageable groups that you can really invest into. Less is more. Quality over Quantity. - When taking photos or videos explain what you aim to do with it so they understand and can be comfortable with it. If need be, ask the permission of parents or guardians (depending on laws of a country) - Do not give things (boards, suits, equipment, gifts) to students until they have earned the right to it through work, stewardship and gratitude. Remember that once a precedent has been set, it will become an expectation by all.
54 - Respect is earned, not due. You should live and act in a way that people will see you are a person of your word who has integrity
BOUNDARIES Personal boundaries are guidelines, rules or limits that a person creates to identify reasonable, safe and permissible ways for other people to behave towards them and how they will respond when someone passes those limits. Boundaries are just as important for an organization. It helps to protect you and those you work with. You have to make the decision before you start working with the community / students on what you will and will not allow. Here are some boundaries you need to consider setting:
• You are the adult and kids need to be respectful of listening and following what you ask of them. You need to be in control. You are also the one who needs to make the responsible and wise decisions. • Don’t give any financial contributions or money to kids or families unless it is a loan. We want to avoid dependency. Also, news will spread and you will have more people knocking on your door for handouts (if money is really needed by people, have people work for it or take a loan) • Avoid being the jungle gym. Kids have a way to be very playful and want to be picked up, played with and swung around. If you are the jungle gym from the beginning, be prepared to always be that. • Don’t spend time alone with children behind closed doors • Don’t cross any lines. Men should counsel men, women should counsel girls. Sometimes you will come across youth who have come from backgrounds where they might have been abused or sexually assaulted. You should watch personal space between you and the children. Things like inappropriate touch, being overtly affectionate to specific individuals, or being in the changing rooms when kids are undressed should be avoided. It is better to be over sensitive than too loose. Inappropriate relationships or sexual abuse allegations can have severe consequences • As far as possible have adult women (female coaches) be present during surf sessions with girls
55 • Do not have boys and girls get undressed / dressed together • As coaches, watch how you get dressed / undressed and rather allow children to go first or go get dressed / undressed at a separate place • Keep a boundary between your personal and private space. I know that this is a very contentious issue amongst different camps. But I have also seen the amount of people who have given too much of themselves and ‘burnt out’ in the process. You need to be doing this work for a very long time, so making wise decisions is extremely important • Remember that once a boundary has been crossed, it can never be regained • You need to consider how every decision or action will positively or negatively impact your goals in the long run or influence your reputation amongst the wider community
WORKING WITH KIDS IN DIFFICULT SITUATIONS
DISCIPLINE In todays circles it is a word that is frowned upon and branded as the opposite of love – when in fact when you love people you will discipline / correct them.
| PROVERBS 3:11 | My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD or loathe His reproof,
| HEBREWS 12:8 | But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.
| JOB 5:17 | Behold, how happy is the man whom God reproves, so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.
Discipline is a long-term strategy. This practice is needed in helping realize character development and personal growth in students. Many times students
56 will come from households or families where discipline does not exist. They need to know that your space has certain rules or guidelines that need to be respected. A lot of times students will overstep their boundaries or do something to the detriment of others. This needs to be addressed as soon as possible. Let me give you a case study from us:
*Andino has been with Aleph for 4 years. He comes from a household where the father is very old and not present in raising or teaching his son. Andino’s mother is disabled and been in a bed for 13 years. Andino is a very happy go lucky kid, but has a very short temper and can get aggressive because of the repression of all his emotions and letdowns over the years. We have invested a lot in building him up and also have given him a lot of opportunities. There was a new group that started with us and we always ask our older crew to help encourage and serve where it is needed. One of the new boys really pushed on Andino’s ‘buttons’. We told him to watch his tone and action with the younger boy. Eventually, one afternoon, we found the younger boy surrounded by a crowd. Andino had hit him with a skateboard and we had to address the situation as soon as possible. We found Andino and asked him what he just did. He said the other kid asked for it so he had to hit him to teach him a lesson. We responded by saying that it is not his place to hand out judgment to others, but to always act in the opposite spirit. We firmly oppose violence and bullies, it is something we can not tolerate under our watch. Andino had been in the wrong and needed to be disciplined. We did not want to expel him forever as we know he really needs Aleph as a space, but we also had to teach him a lesson. We took away his surfing and recreational activities away for a month and suspended him from Aleph for this period of time to think about what he had done. Initially, he was very defiant towards the judgment, but after 2 weeks he came back and apologized. He acknowledges that he has a problem and needs to change. If we had let this incident go unaddressed, the precedent would be that Aleph Surf allows bullies to run rampant and keep hurting others because we won’t do anything about it. Discipline is not always easy, but very needed.
57 WAYS TO DISCIPLINE
I can not state this with enough importance: Discipline is not physical or verbal abuse. Never use force, your voice or your power to enforce discipline. Always handle discipline calmly, with patience and dignity – never from a place of offense or emotion.
• Never verbally or physically abuse or have them do extreme or belittling labor • If a child is disrespectful or purposefully being disruptive in class, you should have the freedom to send him / her home as they are obviously not interested in the session. Also let them know that they are taking away from the other students who want to be there. They can return again the next session when their behavior is appropriate • You can discipline by withholding surfing that day • Have the individual wash out all the wetsuits and rash vests • Clean a specific area, beach or classroom • Run extra laps or do extra push ups • If they have wronged another student, always have them apologize • In extreme cases like Andino’s, you can suspend for a period of time, but stay in communication and check in regularly during this time as to not lose connection with the individual
Theft is a reality when working with vulnerable kids and communities. The desire for a quick fix or meal can outweigh the need to respect someone elses’ property, especially when they view the other person as being wealthy. You have to prepare yourself that things will be lost in the process. I have had fins; equipment, wetsuits, sunglasses, money as well as a computer get stolen. You will be vulnerable when you open up your life to others. But remember that all things in this life is temporary and potentially can be replaced again, but a person is eternal and way more valuable.
I had a situation where I knew a specific student started stealing from us. I could not pinpoint the exact movements, but I knew this individual was stealing
58 because things disappear. On a Friday afternoon I drove 3 of the boys to the local beach to go surfing. After a great time together, I dropped them off at home. At this stage I didn’t realize that my sunglasses had been stolen. The following Monday the specific kid did not show up and the other let me know it was because he stole my glasses. I did not see this kid for a few weeks. Turns out that he had gotten involved with the wrong crowd and started using drugs. After 3 months, I saw him sitting alone by the beach watching his friends surf. I told him that he needed to be out there surfing with them, not sitting out here alone. I also spoke words of encouragement and reminded him of his talents, personality and value. I left the conversation and asked God to open his heart. The next day he came and asked if he can surf with us again on Friday. And here is where wise decision making comes in: Option 1: Before he can come back he needs to acknowledge his wrongdoings, theft and trespasses he committed. He will also need to go on a ‘period of probation’ and prove that he has changed and shown remorse. Option 2: We welcome him back and carry on as if nothing happened
I had to go with option 2. If you have not read the story of the prodigal son, do yourself a favor and read it. It is found in Luke 15:11-32. This kid of ours has gone through enough shame and guilt already. We needed to welcome him back, not push him away. It was not easy and carries risk, but saving a life involves risk. Today, by the grace of God, he is clean, back surfing with his friends and enjoying life as a fisherman.
When it comes to theft, let the group know that it is wrong and that it hurts individuals as well as the organization. Always give the people a chance to come forward on their own time, apologize and return what had been taken. Never expose a child in front of others. Always take them to the side and speak privately on the matter. Never accuse unless evidence or witnesses are there to verify. False accusations can cause great harm to relationships and trust.
The most important lesson on why we need to administer discipline is that actions have consequences. We can deny this or ignore as much as possible –
59 but the reality for every cause there is effect. We need to promote positive choices.
ANGER AND DISRESPECTFUL BEHAVIOR FROM STUDENTS
The value of love is what we continuously promote throughout our daily activities. Love, for us, is wrapped up in this one simple truth:
Love is placing others’ needs above your own
We want our community of people to respect each other and treat each other in an encouraging way. Instead of a downscaling, making fun or belittling others – rather have the students and people intentionally speak positive words and promote encouragement and affirmation continuously. When students come to Aleph, or to the surf sessions, they do it out of free choice and they submit to the culture we aim to promote. If they are resistant or counter to our goals – the student has the choice to go home and not be a challenge to others who do want to learn and grow.
60
OUTCOMES
61 EFFICIENCY:
- Daily Schedule Layouts
This will help you to have a good flow for the day as well as prevent logistical headaches. Place the names of students on a daily timetable. Make sure to specify what they will be doing which days whether it is surfing, life skill sessions, art or education.
- Sign Sheets / Roll Call
You should try have an attendance sheet or a page at your meeting place where students have to sign in each time they visit. This will in the long run help you to see who are the regular students and who are most committed. When students have not been showing up for a while, you should check in with the student. Their information should be on record with you (Child Profiles).
- Equipment
Number your wetsuits and the boards. During the first lesson assign each student a board, wetsuit / rash vest and have them use this board every week. This will help save time and possible conflicts where students may fight over equipment. This way it keeps them accountable and it will also make it easier to pinpoint which students abuse the equipment.
- Routine
Routine is a great thing! Through repetition you create fluidity and eventually master that which you set out to learn. A lot of times vulnerable kids do not have a lot of routine in their lives. It can be so up and down and different each day. Routine helps create a safe place for many people. For some people even struggling with spectrum disorders such as autism routines help to create stability and order*12. With this in mind have all the kids follow a routine with regards to washing out the wetsuits, hanging them up, cleaning up a space after a session, putting water in the beckets, placing things in the same place etc. This
12 https://www.autismspectrum.org.au/content/establishing-routines
62 will help you as a facilitator in the long run to hand over duties and responsibilities to students to lead themselves.
- Log Book
Keeping a journal or logbook is a very good You, as a facilitator or coach should take time at the end of the each sessions and do a short write up of how the day went. It is important to write down any extraordinary incidents or events that might have taken place. The log book also keeps information on individual students and help track their progress over the weeks and month with you. There should be a separate log book for lifeskills / surf sessions and education sessions.
SUSTAINABILITY (AND IDEAS ON HOW TO ACHIEVE IT)
The Cost of Value:
For something to have value, it must have a meaning to you. Value has to do with the importance, worth, usefulness or desirability of something you aim to have. Often times, the thing of greatest value has to do with your access to it and scarcity. If you have worked hard for something or earned it, you will value that thing.
For us, the Aleph Surf Family is there for kids to make use of freely, we don’t want them to pay for because these kids don’t have the resources, but we don’t want to just give out handouts and freebies either. There has to be the balance between giving an opportunity but not settling for only handouts. We want the students to WORK for their own equipment and even value being part of Aleph Surf, not to just take it for granted or use it to get what they want. We want them to have the feeling of achievement and be proud of what they have accomplished.
What we require from students is commitment and ‘buy in’ from their side. Here is our list of requirements to receive the benefits of Aleph Surf / Your Surf Project:
- Students has to be in school or some educational institution,
63 - Students have to be attending school every day, if they ‘bunk’ / skip school, they can’t surf, - They have to spend one day a week with our tutors (homework support, reading, creative writing, computer training etc.) - They have to actively help with stewarding Aleph property, assets and equipment - There will be required from students to do beach and community clean ups - Attend every Aleph session they need to be present at unless something comes up
When ‘giving’ boards / wetsuits or any other goods away, please consider having the student pay a small amount for the goods. They can get paid for work that they did. If they have no access to work or funds, have them do a work for you, the organization, ministry or someone else in the community that needs help with whatever project. This can include helping the elderly clean their homes, do garden work, wash cars beautify a beach area. There are so many things that students can do work for. Again, having students work for that which they want, is a long term strategy that will be highly beneficial for the development of the individual. Never underestimate the power of achieving one’s goals and dreams. We are there to set the goal, map the way to get there and share in the achievement!
Education:
For development to take place there has to be a focus and emphasis on learning. Education is one of our key strategies in our quest to bringing lasting positive change to communities. We believe that having the ability to read and write sets you apart and sets the foundation for critical thinking and expansion of one’s worldview.
We do no want our Aleph Students / surf students to only be good in surfing, without having anything to fall back on. Surfing will not put food on the table, but being able to plan, set goals, budget and plan for the future will. These skills you can only be achieved through education.
64 Creating a culture of Learning:
Our goal is to instill a sense of learning, seeking knowledge and expanding skills. They say knowledge is power and it is true. The reason there is such a divide between the rich and poor is because of the knowledge that one has and the other lacks. What you know sets you apart.
Many kids we work with must learn overcrowded low income schools where they receive a very weak educational foundation. They go to school because they have to. Many teachers we have met are overworked, underpaid and has lost passion to teach. I have even heard the expression ‘I only get paid once, so I only teach once’. Our goal is to make the kids realize what they have is a privilege and they need to steward it correctly. Education should be seen as an investment. Investments costs something of you – this investment for the kids mean investing time into learning. When all of the kids start seeing that everyone around them is learning and investing in their school work, a norm can be created. Once this norm has become common practice, it becomes part of the culture. Thus a culture of learning has been created!
Depending on the needs of kids, language, reading and math are always good places to begin. You can improve education through the following basic ways:
- Students can have one day of surfing and one day of learning - Get teachers from local schools or volunteers involved with extra tutoring for the kids - Focus on teaching English – reading and speaking - Have kids bring homework to your learning day - Do Math Tables and multiplication with students - Do the ‘Remedial’ Course with kids - Introduce other learning material into kids lives, reading is most essential skill that is often overlooked today
65 REWARDS AND INCENTIVES
The reality of life is that very few things are free. We need to work for what we want. This goes back to Genesis 3:19 where it says ‘By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground’. This verse is not condemnation – we are merely stating reality.
If we create a culture of ‘hand outs’ and free things to the materially poor, the message they may receive is that because they are poor they are given things for free. The message they receive is that because I am poor someone will feel they have to help me. We realize that there are people who work and try hard and others who do the minimum to get by. We believe the hard workers should be rewarded.
We want to instill a sense of work ethic from a young age and also reward commitment and effort in the lives of youth we work with.
Over the past years we have setup some different reward systems and make some incentives available for kids to reach their goals. We have said that surfing should be seen as a privilege and not a right, so surfing should be seen as a reward – something to enjoy after the work is done. Here is an example of what we did in the past:
In South Africa we have massive problems with kids not desiring to stay in school and thus a very high school drop out. From 1.1 million kids that will start in Grade 1, only 450 000 will finish Grade 12. It is just not high on the priority list. Classrooms are overcrowded, teachers overworked and foundational level of education is very poor. Youth just don’t see the value in going to school.
We wanted our students to have better chance at making it in school. Here is an example of our Education Day and our ‘Wave Shop’ incentive program from our Daily Operating Procedures in Jbay:
We have allocated Wednesday afternoons as a time to focus on Education for our students. We aim to do the following with Wednesday Education days:
- Provide the service and space where more volunteers and tutors are able to serve the kids in educational needs
66 - Teach the kids that education is not only confined to school hours of 8am – 2pm - Education is a process of progress - Education is a choice - Hard work and effort is rewarded - If kids come on Wednesday Education days they can earn Free Surf Tokens or points with which they can ‘purchase’ surf gear, equipment or repairs Time: The time we allocate to Education days is 2pm – 4pm every Wednesday 2pm: Arrive at Garage and setup the games, activities for the day. Also use the time to inform volunteers and tutors of the days flow and goals. 2:30: Kids arrive at the Session 2:30 – 2:45 : Give time for everyone to arrive and settle in 2:45 Play Game or run activity for the day 3:00pm: Break up the kids into age and grade groups to do specific lessons or worksheets. Other kids could also work on homework or assignments with tutors / volunteers. 4pm: Hand out the Kids their ‘Aleph Dollars / Points’’ Log the kids time and amount of points earned 4pm – 4:15pm – Aleph Garage Shop time open
Focus Areas of Education: - English - Reading Comprehension - Math - Writing Assignments
Reward and Incentive System: When doing education with kids outside of school hours – they need an incentive to get them coming to the sessions and getting them involved with the work requirements. Thus we make use of the reward system.
Kids will receive a point for each of the following things: - 1 point for being on time - 1 point for bringing homework or assignments to the session - 1 point for working and responding accordingly to the session requirements until the allocated time is finished
This means that a child can earn 3 points per session.
67 With these points, the child can ‘purchase’ goods from Aleph Surf once they have enough points to transfer to the prize they want. This flowchart will be put up in the garage for them to see. This system will help students to bring some work ethic for the things they want to earn / receive. It has two benefits where we:
- Improve the education of kids - Challenge the ‘handout’ mentality where kids have to work for the things they want Needs: - List of activities and games planned a month in advance - List of all the kids attending each session - Chart to place points for students on the wall - List of prizes the kids can purchase with their points
Aleph Wave Shop Prizes and Prices
• Apple / Snack ------3 points • Stickers o Small ------2 points o Big ------3 points • Tooth Brush Kit ------6 points • Surf Magazine ------6 points • Fin Key ------6 points • Stationery Kit ------9 points • Surf Wax ------6 points • Ding Repair ------9 points each (on average) o More extensive repairs will be looked at case by case • Shirts ------9 points • Surf Leash ------12 points • FCS Fins (Set of 3) ------18 points o (Single Fin) ------8 points • School Shoes ------15 points • New Traction Pad ------20 points • Wetsuit (old)------15 points o (By discretion of the Aleph leaders) • Wetsuit Exchange ------5 points o (By discretion of the Aleph Leaders) • Booties ------15 points • Surfboard ------50 points
68 What the kids learned from this is how to manage their points / Aleph Moola. They had to choose between the short-term quick buy items like snacks or stickers or will they work longer and save more for big purchases such as surf grips or surfboards. The cost of things in life all differ and this was a way for us to teach that for some things in life you will have to work longer for. Maintenance of what you own is also costly. Items such as toothbrushes, school shoes, shirts or stationary kits were also put on the list so they were able to purchase essentials and not only the ‘fun’ things they desire. Life is about responsibility and being a responsible adult is a lot of times making the hard decisions.
This ‘reward and incentives program’ will work best if you start it from the onset of your launch or beginning. Remember that the tone you set in the beginning is the one that the community and kids will be used to. Changing or redirecting behavior later is very very difficult. Another factor that will ensure success is making sure that there are no other groups in your area who does the ‘free handout’ thing. We have had it where other groups in Jeffreys Bay came in and started their own surf projects by handing out free surfboards and wetsuits for kids. Many went over to the other surf project because they get things for free without having to work for it. If such groups exist in your area call a meeting and explain that it will be beneficial if all the role players can work according to the same page.
The good thing is that you can be creative about what you want to include as ‘jobs’ the students can do. Think about:
- Beach Cleanups - Community Cleanups - Rewards for youth who find their own jobs - Rewards for students who improve most in school and report cards
THE POWER OF WORDS AND POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT
Words carry incredible meaning and power. It says in the word that the power of the tongue holds life and death: James
With words we build up or break down. There is enough breaking down and harshness in this world as it is – we want to be building up!
69
In every situation give a word of encouragement, belief or affirmation. When you need to address something, explain why and always give ‘constructive criticisms’. Give words of love rather than words rooted in frustration.
Let me share 2 more case studies with you:
When Attie13 started with Aleph, he was an extremely shy and reserved kid not even able to greet or look you in the eye. He would always stand on the side and only look to the floor. We continuously spoke compliments over him, asked him to help us with small tasks, thanked him and always made him to be included in everything we do. Over the course of 3 years he has blossomed into an polite, helpful and self confident boy. Attie was however struggling with school and was transferred to a ‘special needs / remedial’ school. Because of the stigma surrounding this school, Attie was made fun of by the others. This made him to go quiet and stay away from our tutoring sessions, because he felt that he was ‘dumb’. Attie disappeared. Because of our long-term relationship we were able to go to his house and talk to him there. We spoke to Attie about what he had heard and the news of his transfer. We shared with him that we do not see him any different. He is still exactly the same to us and we want him to continue coming to learn with us. These words of support and affirmation made him come to the sessions again.
Daniel14 came to Aleph with a friend. He came to check it out and was very cynical about the whole setup. He came to the sessions to check things out, but not really to get involved, just to make comments and make fun of others who are participating in our program. We had a talk to Daniel and said that he is welcome to join us for surfing and just drop his attitude for a bit, and get involved. Over time, we spoke good words over him and showed a lot of patience and grace towards him. Daniel’s family situation was really difficult. His parents passed away and he was put in the guardianship of his aunt and uncle. Daniel and his brother are more seen as a ‘hassle’ or burdens to his aunt’s family and their own kids. There is also a tavern run from the house, so he is continuously exposed to noise and unruly behavior. Beyond all of this he really has tried to live a responsible life. He is just used to being overlooked and has learned to distrust people, hence all his ‘walls’ that are up. Over the months we
13 Pseydonum (real name withheld) 14 Pseydonum (real name withheld)
70 encouraged and spoke words of love over him. The last major walls that came down is when we were able to donate 3 Firewire surfboards to our students. One of the beneficiaries we selected was Daniel. On the day I gave him his board I took him aside and spoke to him one on one away from the others and I made know the intent of our meeting. I acknowledged the positive change I have seen in his attitude towards other people and life in general. I acknowledged his hard work at school and his willingness to help at Aleph. We spoke words of truth over his life that he is loved, valued and belongs at Aleph. He is a blessing to us and others. He could not look me in the eye, but I could see a huge smile engulf him as he tried to hide it. You can not help but feel good when people shower you with words of affirmation and love. Since that day his walls have been down and real relationship solidified.
We should be weary of the words we use to describe to others the people we reach out to and serve. We should not describe them as broken, sick, poor, destitute, lost or victims. It may be true in some cases that these words will describe the people you help, but we need to be speaking life through faith into the people unlocking the potential that lies within each of these ‘destitute’ we so often refer to.
I always say that I will not play into the victim mentality or pity you for your current state of poverty – but what I will do is treat you with the respect and value as a fellow human being. For each of us is someone’s son, daughter, father or mother. Each of us containing the image and likeness of a beautiful Creator that loves us dearly. Within each of us lies a destiny that is there to bless this world, others who live in it and our Creator.
GET PARENTS INVOLVED parent teacher night / house visits / have parents come to beach
The reality is that we only spend a few hours a day (at most) with these kids. Many of them return to their own households and their own families. We don’t want to create a rift between them and their families – but create a bridge where their world with us and their families can merge. It is therefore of utmost importance to have good communication and support from the families.
- Before commencing with surf sessions get the permission of parents / guardians of students
71 - Inform them of what will be done, how the program works etc. - Depending on your schedule, set up times for house visits with the families and give feedback. This can be quarterly, bi-monthly or monthly depending on your time - Have yearly parents / community meetings where progress, media, videos etc can be shared - Invite the parents to come to beach for surf sessions and have them be involved as much as possible
Remember that we are not the legal parents or guardians of these kids / students. We need to encourage parents to be more involved in their kids lives. We are not there to replace them. Remember we are in ministry of reconciliation and are there to bring people together so they can function as healthy units.
DELEGATION, RESPOSIBILITY AND OWNERSHIP
One of the goals we have is to ‘work ourselves out of a job’.
My dream is to see local communities stand on their own feet and run their own projects without having to depend on outside parties or people. Locals leading locals – making a difference amongst their own people. We don’t want the communities we help to always be beneficiaries and dependent on us but become leaders in their own capacity. The only way this is possible is if we give up some control over our projects. Remember – this is not our kingdom we are building. We do not have ownership over people, we are merely there to empower and develop the platforms from where they can have a voice.
Look at your project and see where you can delegate some of the daily operational tasks to the students / community you serve. Here are some of the things we have done:
- Select some students to do the warm up training sessions - Select a student to supervise the equipment and storage of it - We would rotate who has to get water every week to rinse wetsuits out - Trusting a student to lock open or lock the facility - We ran photography classes with our students and allowed them to be our photographers
72 - Giving the older students money to buy supplies with. Always request a receipt and change!
Responsibility towards equipment:
We mark and number our wetsuits, rash vests and surfboards and assign them to each student. This helps us to point out who has been abusing their privileges, broken equipment or not rinsed out their wetsuit / gear.
I would encourage you to teach or get someone to teach students how to repair surfboards so that when things are damaged, they can repair it themselves.
The worst message you want to send is that whenever a student breaks or abuses equipment you will just fix or replace it yourself.
Ask students how they would like to be involved
This is a great strategy to get students to feel part of your project and that they are valued members, not only welfare cases that continuously must be supervised in fear of them causing damage or harm.
Call a meeting and challenge the students to think about what role / position they would like to play in the surf project. When students select their own roles and tasks, they are more likely to be more self motivated and less in need of external motivation.
Get them to help younger groups and sessions
This statement should almost be a continuous value of your organization or project. The ones who receive must give back to others – especially the younger students. We want to create a new cycle where support comes from within. The older surf students should join in and help with beginner sessions and remember to be role models inside and out of the water.
Keep in mind that the responsibility factor should be focused more towards students who have been with the project after their initial orientation phase. Some relationship and trust needs to be established before entrusting students with money, keys and other kids lives.
73 Have them understand the vision of your outreach
Part of your job is to give youth something to live for and something to show up for. If you give them the big picture of what you hope for and show them their part they have to play in the development of the community – they are more likely to stay with you and grow with the project. If there is no long term place for the youth in your project they will move on. You need to make them love that they get to be part of something bigger than their own life.
SET GOALS
We should always be setting goals in our lives. It is the difference between burying your talent in the ground or multiplying what you have been given. Most people want to achieve greatness, but it requires action. This action usually involves discipline, sacrifice and hard work – thus a lot of people don’t even try and stay in their current states being bitter and complaining about the ‘card they have been dealt with’. Surfing is great tool when it comes to setting goals. You can see the progression every time you enter the water. Many students of mine have said ‘today I want to stand up’ and so they have stood and fallen down only to jump up and say ‘now I want stand up for 5 seconds’. They have gone from only catching foamies to paddling out on very big days. This process did not happen overnight. It took overcoming a lot of fears, wipeouts and swallowed water.
We then translate these ‘goals’ we have achieved in the water and bring it onto land. We have set personal goals by means of learning a new language, improving report cards in schools and even achieving attending university for some of our graduates.
Each student has different goals and through a relationship and being known, you can help select and motivate goals for your students outside of surfing.
Remember that surfing is a fun activity to do – but for most, it will not put food on the table. You need to help set goals that will ultimately make these students of yours transition into successful adults that can take care of their own family and community.
74 Goals can be directed towards the following areas:
- School and Education - Job preparation - Saving Money, Financial Literacy and budgeting - Family relations - Improvement of community life and safety - Environment and Conservation - Water and Food Security
Always be on lookout for leaders
You should always be on the lookout for students and individuals who have a natural gift for leadership.
One of my favorite summaries of leadership is the following: Leadership is a process of social influence which maximizes the efforts of others toward the achievement of a greater good.
Bill Hybels wrote a great book called Courageous Leadership (2002) in which he highlights 5 qualities a natural leader will exude:
1. Ability to INFLUENCE others 2. A person of CHARACTER (honesty, integrity, principles) 3. Needs to have PEOPLE SKILLS (sensitivity to thoughts and feelings of others and have the ability to listen) 4. A person that has DRIVE (self motivation and desire to keep going) 5. Needs to have INTELLIGENCE (common sense and knowledge)
If you are able to see these qualities and traits in any of your students or community member, have an intentional talk with them and highlight the potential you see in them. If they are willing, allow them to have more responsibilities. Continuously ‘check in’ with them and listen to how they are coping with their new
Cultivating new leadership and continuing it in your project is key to your success and the sustainable development of the community that you hope to empower.
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COLLABORATING AND COLABORING WITH OTHERS connecting the dots
It is impossible to meet all the needs of a person – let alone the needs of a community. You need to decide what areas you can work or help in. For us we focused on the areas of assisting in the realm of spiritual, education, emotional and recreational. More than this we run the risk of burning ourselves out. We have to know our own limit and restrictions. It is ok to not be everything to everyone. Do fewer things, but do those things excellent.
The need to work with others is imperative if we want to win the war against poverty. We need to realize that we all have different gifts, callings and abilities. We need to honor and allow those who have specific callings and strengths in their fields of expertise to succeed and not face resistance. Too often I have seen how NGO’s / ministries / Charities fight against one another for a bigger piece of the ‘so-called pie’ and to be the leading voice. Fame, pride, resources and funds are often the main drivers that cause rifts between groups and these rifts are extremely damaging and counterproductive to eradicating poverty. If we allow our egos to get in the way, problems will arise. Remember, we are here for the people, not ourselves.
Look at your area and identify other NGO’s and interest groups that can contribute to the lives of your students. In Jbay, we partnered with a group called: ‘work for a living’. They specialize in job preparation and training as well as teaching financial literacy. We paid the course fee for all our students to attend a WFAL course. Work for a Living does an incredible job and we wanted our students to go to a group that knows what they are doing in this department. It saved us time and effort because we did not have to create a curriculum or learning course on finances and job seeking.
There are many groups that can further musical training, sports training, entrepreneurial qualifications and trades for your students. Seek them out, have a list, build relationships with other groups that work in your area, check in with them on a regular basis, support each other and help each other be successful in the areas you operate in. The goal is not to see who has the best project. The goal is to help people we serve be successful.
76 FINANCES
We need money to buy boards, we need money to pay rent, we need money to transport the kids, we need money to fix dings. We need money.
Most projects are reliant on support or donations from external supporters. Projects raise awareness on the issues, they share the needs. People feel moved to action. Donations start to come in. This is how most projects have been funded over the years. Nowadays, a lot of economies are in recession and people have less cash flow available. During tough times, donations to charities are the first expenses that get cut. You as a project or charity can not be solely dependent on these donations.
We encourage people to see how they can create an income for their own projects. We want you to look at how you can be a social enterprise. Think of it as ‘business in mission’ and ‘business for mission’. Over the years I have seen some pretty incredible ideas of how people generate income:
- Surf Schools geared towards tourist that funds the project - Ding Repair Shops - Manufacturing of small products for local markets and tourism - Vegetable gardens where produce gets sold at a stand - Motorcycle repair shops where extra income gets used to train and employ youth - Collecting trash and tin cans and ‘selling’ it to recycling plants
I am giving you these examples to show you that it is possible. You have to be creative and willing to do some hard work. Network, make connections, look for opportunities. If you are able to support your own projects as a team and as a community without being reliant on continuous outside funding, then you can achieve financial sustainability.
Keep your overheads as low as possible. Share spaces with others. Look at what you have available right now to utilize. Look for used goods before you purchase new. Recycle. Repurpose.
Many times we are very conditional and say things like ‘if only I can have 10 surfboards then I can start my project’ or ‘if I can have a big van I can transport the kids to the beach’ and we create these big funding proposals all the while
77 we fail to see we already have 2 boards and we have a car that can transport 3 kids right now. My point is, use what you have available right now and steward it well. If you can not work with 2 or 3 how will you work with 20 or 30? Use what you have, steward it well and trust in God’s provision for the right time. God will not give you 100 if He can not trust you with 1.
Remember the ABCD Model. Draw from what is available around you, be creative and have fun. When you have built up a track record and a reputation through your actions – then people from the ‘outside’ will be more likely to support and partner with you. It is all about integrity and relationship.
CLOSING
You will show up many sessions and things will not work out as planned. You will invest a lot into people who will never say thank you. You will plant many seeds for which you will never see the fruit. To this I say: Don’t. Give. Up.
Your mission is to propose a better way to people. A way that leads to life. You are doing this in faith and with the hope that people will forever be changed. You need to make prayer the cornerstone of your project and ask God to open people’s hearts and minds to receive all of the teaching and experiences that awaits them. Ask that God will lead them into all understanding by His Spirit of Truth and that the voice of poverty will be silenced in the lives of all.
We are here to make an eternal difference. One prayer at a time. One wave at a time.
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