Group of children and adults gathered outdoors with surfboards, some making peace signs and smiling, with palm trees in the background.

Genesis Wave of Hope

Wave of Hope Surf Academy aims to use surfing as a tool to change the lives of young people in our community.

A stylized blue illustration of a whale breaching the water, with waves depicted at the bottom.

Three young men surfing on a wave at the beach.

The Wave of Hope Surf Academy is a project of Genesis Hope South Africa that aims to support young teenagers in our communities, through teaching surfing.

The Surf Academy has 40 young surfers who attend weekend surf sessions on a rotating basis. Many of these surfers are competing at development competitions in the Ugu District, through the season.

These young surfers have been recruited through different programmes at Genesis and are all from communities in which our Safe Place sites are active.

Who we Are

Children in wetsuits holding surfboards in the ocean with waves crashing around them, preparing for surfing lesson.

The community of Bhobhoyi is a very underserved community, lacking access to basic services with a high population of young people. Many young people in the area have very few positive influences, and are in need of mentorship and support. Genesis enrols 40 young people with drive, talent, and potential. Through surfing and mentorship, we have seen incredible results in their schooling success, their personal and most importantly spiritual lives. We have also seen a few surfers go on to compete at local and district surf competitions which is testament to the vision of this program.

Our Surfers

A young boy smiling at the camera, giving a thumbs-up, while holding a surfboard on a beach during sunset or sunrise.

There is a great deal of potential for Wave of Hope to grow and expand. We have started to introduce swimming and water safety to more kids, and we would love to hire and train more coaches to help us reach more children to give hope and opportunities. This program aims to use surfing and the gospel as a tool to equip young children to be our future leaders. So far this has shown a great positive impact in the community as we see qualities of leadership and discipline.