SurfAid2

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=SurfAid= By Erin Lewis = = = = = = = = =__About SurfAid__=

SurfAid is a non-profit humanitarian organisation whose aim is to improve the health, wellbeing and self-reliance of people living in isolated areas connected to them through surfing. SurfAid was founded in 2000 by a group of surfers who were concerned about the needless suffering and preventable deaths due to illness in the Mentawai Islands, Indonesia The founder, physician and keen surfer, Dr Dave Jenkins went on a surf trip to the Mentawai Islands that changed his career path an his life forever. = =

"SurfAid embodies the positive values inherent in surfing, namely individualism,
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courage, dynamism, and adaptability, and seeks to harness the attributes in
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implementing projects with measurable results"
=** __Their Values__ **=

**__Community Empowerment__**
To create opportunities for learning and working together towards a common goal, encouraging people to take an active role in establishing their own healthy and resilient communities.

__**Equality**__
All people have a right to access quality basic services regardless of where they live. They believe all people can contribute to their own development, given the right opportunities and a voice to share their challenges, ideas and wisdom.

**__Partnership/Equality__**
SurfAid understands that alone they can only contribute to positive change. To bring about lasting change they work with communities, local government departments, local influencers and decision makers. Our aim is to be as inclusive as possible, listening to all our stakeholders.

=__**What They Do**__=

SurfAid works together with communities and local government to prevent mother and child suffering and death. The latest Indonesian statistics show that every three hours a mother dies in childbirth, while every hour 20 babies die. Half of these babies are less than one month old. In remote areas these figures are worse. They provide a mix of practical support, education and health promotion that aims to change poor health behaviours into positive behaviours. Simple basic stuff, really, but with huge effects!
 * __Mother & Child Health__**

__**Water & Sanitation**__
Clean water and sanitation can mean the end of diarrhoea which, for children under five years of age, means having a real chance to survive in remote ares.

__**Malaria**__
These key activities - insecticide treated nets, cleaning up the environment, mass blood tests, trained community members and health staff - contribute to the end of malaria.

__**Nutrition**__
knowing what to eat and feed your children, growing nutritious crops and using the right foodstuffs, can all contribute to lowering malnutrition.

__**Community Health Centres**__
Groups of community health volunteers (Kaders) work together with the local health department to deliver health messages on nutrition, hygiene and sanitation to their neighbours, focusing on at risk households.

=Ibu Luseria helps bring fresh water to the village= =Friday, September 26, 2014= Ibu Luseria Salelelu Baja is the 65-year-old head of the women's group in the small church in Eruparaboat, in the Mentawai Islands. The 2010 tsunami took their houses and livelihoods, and their children, family and friends. The survivors have moved to higher ground, up into the forest, and slowly they are trying to rebuild their lives.

"Water is so important for our lives and health."

Ibu Luseria gladly used her influence and status in the community to mobilise all women in the community to join in the hard manual labour of digging trenches for the water pipes that run from the natural spring to tap stands in the community.

She leads by example. Despite her advanced years, Ibu Luseria is out there and digging with all the other community members. "Water is so important for our lives and health,” she said. “Since the tsunami we have been using rainwater for drinking and the runoff from the road for washing dishes and ourselves.

“Of course I want to contribute with the rest of the community to get clean water into Eruparaboat. Together with SurfAid it is possible!"

//Story by Horas, SurfAid water and sanitation assistant.//

//Photos by Nazaruddin, SurfAid water and sanitation engineer.//

To find out more about SurfAid, visit their website -
http://www.surfaid.org