For us, living and working in India for half the year is a privilege yet life is tough for many local people, particularly the fishing communities. We discovered the SISP project towards the end of our first season and have committed to supporting them by donating a percentage of our profits each month. We would encourage you to do the same.

SISP
The primary goal of S.I.S.P. is to improve the standard of living among the financially and socially disadvantaged sections of the society (with a special focus on Vizhinjam village and surrounding areas). S.I.S.P. works with the poorest by providing them free education, training in self-employment (for women in difficult situations, destitute, and unemployed youths), setting up saving schemes, micro credit unions, financial aid for food, old age care, disabled care, educational care etc… S.I.S.P. has an explicit commitment not to be involved in any religious activity and to work for the poorest among all communities. The staff members and beneficiaries of S.I.S.P. are coming from all communities.

The Kovalam Surfclub is located in Kovalam, India and was found in 2005 as a part of the bigger NGO, SISP. The idea behind the Kovalam Surfclub was to get the children of SISP also off the streets outside the school opening hours and to act as an extra motivation to keep these kids going to school on a regular basis. The main rule to participate in the surf classes is: 'No school—No surfing'!

Today, the Kovalam Surf Club has around 20 members and is a registered sports club and so the first official surfclub in India.  Foreign tourists as well as locals are impressed by the surfskills of the local surfers and are really stoked on riding the waves as well. The demand for surflessons has never been so big. Some of the older boys will soon be able to make a proper living out of surfing, by offering surflessons, boardrental and boardfixing.

www.sisp.be
Facebook Search "kovalamsurfclub"
http://www.vimeo.com/14209021?ab