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Busua, Ghana
JUSTICE FOUNDED THE SURF SCHOOL IN 2013
With only
two boards
I started
my own business.
Since then Justice often asked himself, where are the Ghanaian girls surfing? Why do I always see only black guys and men on the beach but where are the girls and women?
For girls in Ghana, the path is often clear: help their parents in the household, marry, have children and more household chores. That's the way tradition dictates.
The girls want to seize the opportunity, make a different choice and thus defy West African
norms.
With that, Justice and his team decided to create the initiative of the Obibini Girls Surf Club. Convincing the families of this idea has been and still is a big challenge because surfing is not allowed by many African cultures.
By now the girls can swim, surf and have successfully participated in their first two surf competitions! The girls are very proud!
IN OCTOBER 2021, THE FIRST WOMEN EMPOWERING WORKSHOPS TOOK PLACE
The girls were educated about the female body, especially menstruation and sexual health.
In cooperation with a Ghanaian menstrual cup company, education about menstrual hygiene and contraception was provided and the products were made available to the girls. In this way, the first steps were taken to address social taboos of the past.
IN DECEMBER 2023, A REVISED SEX EDUCATION WORKSHOPS TOOK PLACE.
What became clear again is that education is a big problem in many villages.
If the families only have the possibility to send the children to the free government school, the educational level is extremely low.
Thus, for example, menstruation alone results in absenteeism from school, or ignorance results in pregnancies at a very young age. This often means the end of the school career and drags a lot implications with it.
The personality can develop positively, protective relationships are formed and visions for the future are developed.
CHALLENGES
Convincing the families of this idea has been and still is a big challenge because surfing is not allowed by many African cultures.
Sometimes unfortunately the girls have to stay away from surfing for days or weeks because of work in the household of for other reasons. When it is time to surfing Justice used to go from house to house to ask for permission so that the girls could join the program.
The aim of the project Obibini Girls Surf Club in Busua is:
... TO OFFER THE GIRLS THE POSSIBILITY TO SURF INCLUDING ALL WHAT IS NEEDED FOR
... THE BIG AND VERY IMPORTANT GOAL IS THAT THE GIRLS CAN LIVE A LIFE THAT WILL CHANGE THEIR PATH LIKE IN PROBABLY MOST PARTS OF WEST AFRICA:
... TO TRAIN THE FIRST FEMALE SURF COACHES IN GHANA, TO CREATE JOBS, SO THAT THE GIRLS CAN BENEFIT FINANCIALLY FROM SURFING
NO POVERTY DUE TO LACK OF SCHOOLING AND GENDER EQUALITY !
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