Introduction

Unravel Surf Travel was created by Jenya Zhivaleva and Hermann Vivier in February 2010 as a social, surf, travel and photography enterprise. The Surfer Kids Non-Profit followed later that same year.

The Surfer Kids is a Non-Profit Community Outreach Initiative and is based in Friemersheim, a rural community between George and Mosselbay, on the N2 Garden Route in South Africa. It is supported by Unravel Surf Travel Outreach. The Surfer Kids is overseen and maintained by Outreach Coordinators and other volunteers, from within the community itself but also from the surrounding area.

Our aim is to introduce surfing amongst the kids of Friemersheim and provide them with the opportunity to pursue an interest in surfing and exploring the wider world around them. This is a cooperative effort between Unravel Surf Travel - Tours & Outreach, the local and wider community AND the kids themselves.

Through surfing, travelling, adventure, education, tourism and other related avenues, we want to create opportunities for the kids. And ultimately we want the kids to create opportunities for themselves.

Above: The Surfer Kids always join us on special Outreach Days during every Surf Tour of the Garden Route with Unravel Surf Travel. We surf and help one another, kids and international travellers alike! It is always great fun and a very special experience for all!

Below: The Surfer Kids representing Groot Brak High at a Southern Cape Inter School Tag Team Event in September 2012.

Above: The Surfer Kids at the Ross Taylor Benefit Surf Contest in Buffalo Bay, August 2012. From left to right, back row & standing: Luciano, Marchal, Randy, Duran, Stefan, Jessy, Amanda. Front row & sitting: Romario, Reagan, Angelo, Chaneal, Billy, Wilmar

Below: Wilmar is one of the more experienced kids, he joined us on the very first day in November 2010. This is Wilmar surfing Diaz Beach in Mosselbay, almost two years down the line. No doubt he he has found something special.

Above: In July 2011 The Surfer Kids travelled to Chintsa, 30 km's outside East London, and joined other kids and volunteers from the Unstressed Eric Surf School for an epic weekend Development Surf Camp, hosted by Friends of Chintsa NPO and Buccaneers Backpackers.

Left: Unravel Surf Travel Co-Founders (husband and wife team) Hermann and Jenya.Below: Outreach Coordinator Peter (right) and Community Outreach Coordinator Bennie (left) with Hermann (middle)

Above: Some of the older kids watching live music at the Ross Taylor Benefit Surf Bash in Buffalo Bay. First (from left to right) is Jessy, with Marchal peeking over her shoulder, Billy and Wilmar.

Below: The Surfer Kids (Wilmar and Billy, with Duran hanging over their shoulders) representing Southern Cape at the 2012 South African Grommet Games in Port Elizabeth. Marchal is on the right, contemplating the conditions.

Unravel Surf Travel specializes in organising Tours for surfers, travellers and like minded people from all over the world. One of the highlights of every tour on the Garden Route is two days of Outreach surfing & adventure with The Surfer Kids. We aim to broaden the social perspectives of the travellers and the kids through surfing and sharing other adventures.

Above: The kids playing warm up beach-games with Russian girls on tour.Below: Canoeing with international travellers in the Wildernis National Park.

Where we find a talent for surfing we nurture and encourage it, but our central aim is not to produce professional surfers. Surfing is the focal point around which many other things happen. Through surfing, and travelling to different surf spots, the kids learn to listen and understand. To respect one another, broaden their perspectives and appreciate the value of perseverance. This is Billy (top) and Jessy (bottom) both keen surfer kids making excellent progress!

Above: Duran, one of the older kids, showing the younger ones how to handle a steeper take-off on an unbroken wave face.Below: It is important that we maintain a good balance between girls and boys in The Surfer Kids. Left to right: Amanda, Randy and Jessy

Above: Marchal (Third from left) with the gold medal he received for winning the 'Flags' competition (a life savers' beach training-game) at the South African Grommet Games.Below: Luciano, one of the younger kids, already showing signs of a stylish bottom turn, an important foundation for good surfing.

Above: Stefan is our youngest surfer kid, it took him some time to gather the courage to brave the ocean, but he's gained incredible confidence since then!

Below: Marchal at an Outreach Day horse-riding workshop organised during an Unravel Surf Travel Tour of the Garden Route for horse enthusiasts. In the background Nadja (a surfer, traveller and horse-riding Instructor from Russia) is helping Billy with the basics of proper horse riding.

Below: Randy couldn't swim at all when she first joined The Surfer Kids. Learning how to swim is an important part of the program, it is a huge confidence boost for the kids to learn how to handle themselves in a foreign environment such as the ocean.

Above: Chaneal (front, left) is tabulating scores during a development surf contest in Buffalo Bay. (Judges are sitting in the background) There are many opportunities to learn new skills related to surfing, travelling and tourism. It is our aim to expose the kids to as many different opportunities as possible. With the right skills they can go many places!

Left: Russian traveller Lika (middle) shares a moment with Amanda (left) during an Outreach Day of drumming on tour with Unravel Surf Travel. On the right Chaneal is trying her best to keep a rhythm going!

Right: The kids acquire the necessary skills to one day possibly pursue paths such as surf coaching or tour guiding.

Left: We supplement The Surfer Kids' program in various ways. Here Unravel Surf Travel Co-Founder Jenya can be seen surrounded by curious faces eager to learn more about computers and how to use the Internet. Computer literacy is an important skill in today's ever changing world and we keep up by constantly looking for ways to enrich the kids' experience!

Left: Luciano participating in a first-aid course during a development surf camp. Skills such as these are hard to come by for these kids.

Below & right is Andries, surfer & shaper at DUNN Surfboards. Surfing at the bottom is Chad, a local surfer and traveller. Middle right is Bennie, the kids' community leader, builder and father of 2 surf kids. He's also Team Manager whenever the kids compete. Bottom left (second from right in the photo) is Peter, local archaeologist at Pinnacle Point early human excavation site.

They all volunteer for The Surfer Kids on a regular basis and they all add their own flair and unique set of skills to the program, further enriching the kids' experience and contributing to their development.

Unravel Surf Travel is a small business operated by only two people. The Surfer Kids is a relatively small Non-Profit, in our first two years we grew from only 4 kids to 12 kids, 4 volunteers and 2 Outreach Coordinators. But all great things start small and do not necessarily become huge in order to become really GREAT! It is important that we keep working with these kids on an individual level, one on one. The aim is to have a deep, meaningful and individualized impact on every one of the surfer kids' lives.

It is unlikely that some government agency or any other big organisation will solve any of the world's problems with a swift sweep of the broom. Instead each one of us will have to do whatever we can to create a better world ourselves. Change comes from within.

“We must become the change we want to see in the world” ~ Gandhi, Mahatma

Thank you for reading our Outreach Brochure! Please feel free to share it with your family and friends!

For more information please visit our website at:http://unravelsurftravel.com/outreach

Or send an email to: hermann.unravelsurftravel@gmail.com