Benjamin, or Bennie, is a contract worker in the civil construction industry. He is also one of four Trustees and the Community Coordinator for The Surfer Kids NON-Profit.
The Surfer Kids NON-Profit is based in Friemersheim and was founded by Unravel Surf Travel as part of a Social Enterprise. The primary aim of The Surfer Kids NON-profit is to provide free surfing lessons to the children of Friemersheim Primary School.
Over the past three years, The Surfer Kids NON-Profit has become a regular sight on Diaz Beach, in Mossel Bay. Most of the programme's surf training happens there on weekends. The programme also recently hosted its first international volunteer, Mary, from Colorado in the USA.
One of the highlights of Mary's two-month stay with The Surfer Kids NON-Profit is an extensive interview she did with Bennie. It is an inspiring glimpse into Bennie's life and the aims of The Surfer Kids NON-Profit.
This is a selection from that interview:
Mary: How did you become involved with the Surfer Kids Non-Profit?
Bennie: My oldest son Marchall was part of the initial group of children chosen to take part in the programme's first surf lesson. The parents were asked if they wanted to come to the beach to watch. I went, because I wanted to be involved. Afterwards, I was asked to come back to help with the kids' surfing. From there it just developed.
Mary: Before becoming involved with The Surfer Kids NON-Profit, did you ever think about taking your kids surfing?
Bennie: When I was in high-school, we used to go camping at some of the local beaches. This was during the Apartheid years. I would always go to the 'white' side of the beach and peak through the bushes to watch the surfers in the water. At that time, I could not get close to them. I was not supposed to be there. But I was very interested in surfing. I always wanted to try. I definitely wanted my kids to surf someday.
Mary: How has your life changed since the Surfer Kids NON-Profit started in Friemersheim in 2010?
Bennie: Before The Surfer Kids NON-Profit started in Friemersheim, I was drinking a lot. From Friday to Sunday. I was even on drugs. My wife and I tried to sort it out with social workers, but nothing worked. It got really bad. Then I became involved with The Surfer Kids and it was like the ocean water washed all the dirt away. My life is better now. My marriage, my understanding with my children, and my role in the community. I was not an angel in my younger days. But now I want to help and support the children in our community.
Mary: What positive influences have you seen in the children as a result of the Surfer Kids Non-Profit?
Bennie: In all of them, from six to 16, I have seen a change in attitude. We can't force them to do things, but we can show them the beautiful things in life. If the kids want to do it, they have my full support. No matter what! Even if their parents are beating them, I will be there to help. Dealing with the parents is difficult. The parents sometimes argue with me. But for me it is about the kids, not about the parents.
You don't always know what happens at their homes. But we do not give up on any of the kids. Many of them come back to surf again and again. And we will keep trying to help them. We keep the kids off the streets. They come surf with us every weekend. They are safe and we are always teaching them something. It's never just a joy-ride. They are always learning.
Mary: What are your hopes for the future of the Surfer Kids Non-Profit?
Bennie: In the long term, I see the older kids running the programme. We are preparing them for that. I want to give it to them as a job. We will see that they do it properly.
But we don't have a safe storage place for equipment. We need to build a dedicated store-room for The Surfer Kids. A place where we can safely store their equipment and do surfboard repairs. I'm working on some plans at the moment. We will need R10 000 to build a decent storage facility. We already have R3 000, which we raised with the help of Unravel Surf Travel. Any other donations will help! If there is someone who can help with supplies, like cement and gravel, that would also help a lot!
Please support The Surfer Kids NON-Profit!
To find out more, go to www.unravelsurftravel.com/outreach.
The Surfer Kids NON-Profit has become a regular sight on Diaz Beach, in Mossel Bay. Photo: Tersia Marais
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