Waves for Change

Waves for Change was founded in 2009 in Cape Town's Muizenberg township, using surf coaching as a platform to deliver trauma-informed mental health support to children living amid violence and poverty. Employed local surf mentors run structured sessions blending surfing, mindfulness and social-emotional learning across five beach hubs in the Western and Eastern Cape. The program has grown from 2 coaches supporting 15 children in 2011 to 43 coaches now reaching 2,800 adolescents every year, with more than 10,000 young people supported since inception.