SURFING + COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
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| Read Cian's full article in Issue 56 - Winter 2016/’17 of ‘Changing Ireland’! |
IN SIERRA LEONE
BY CIAN MATTHEW KEARNS
Sustainability is key in community development. Projects that last are ones with strong local foundations. Bureh Beach Surf Club in Sierra Leone is a great example of a community-led initiative using its resources to their best advantage. Here
a determined local effort, along with a little international support, made a big difference to a small, coastal community. And it was founded by an Irishman.
a determined local effort, along with a little international support, made a big difference to a small, coastal community. And it was founded by an Irishman.
Sierra Leone has had a torrid time. In 2014, the country was thrust into the international limelight for all the wrong reasons. Images of death and disease swamped the global media. Yet Sierra Leone is a land full of potential. And with its golden, palm-fringed beaches and pristine wildlife sanctuaries, tourism is certain to play a key role in its future.
40 km south of the capital, Freetown, a long crescent beach hugs the coast, framed by
lush jungle spilling o the hills above. A river flows into the bay, sculpting the sandbar that produces one of the best waves in Sierra Leone: a long, mellow, left hand point-break. This is Bureh Beach.
Sitting outside the surf club, with waves lapping up almost to his feet, Galway man Shane O’Connor explains his role in founding the club. “Basically I wanted to help my friends and make sure they got the benefits of the natural resources: the waves here in Bureh.” He focused on fostering ownership amongst the locals. Rather than manage, he prompted and advised. Gradually, he has stepped back. Now, more often than not, he is just another punter renting a board when the waves are good.
Charles, one of the young surfing talents of Sierra Leone, says: “The community thinks that surfing is the best thing in Bureh.” He explains that along with being enormous fun itself, surf lessons provide a source of much needed income for local surfers. All the club members have a role to play. Some give surf lessons to tourists, mostly expats working at NGOs, who frequent Bureh Beach on the weekends. Others cook food for visitors or manage the rental equipment.
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| Surf's up on Bureh Beach. Pic by Cian Kearns. |
As a community-based organisation, all revenue from lessons, gear rentals and selling food is reinvested locally, with 25% set aside for community-based projects. The surf club members decide what they want to do with these funds including supporting new businesses and promoting events such as the country’s rst sur ng competition.
The club has been a great success. Even when things were difficult during the Ebola outbreak the club did not disintegrate; it hibernated. When the epidemic ended, the skills, equipment and experience remained. Bureh Beach quickly bounced back.
Today tourism to the beach has increased. Small restaurants and guest houses have sprung up to accommodate new visitors. These provide employment in an area people previously left to find work. Jabez, the club manager, summed up the community’s feelings: “Now everybody’s in love with surfing, everybody wants to get in the water!”
MORE INFORMATION
Generally, information on Sierra Leone can be
difficult to find online. However, just because
there’s no website doesn’t mean that there
isn’t a thriving business – they’re just offline.
Bureh Beach Surf Club is on Facebook: http://bit.ly/BurehFB
Also, the following website (set up by lm-makers) is
excellent: http://www. sur ngsalone.com/bbsc/
To contact the Surf Club directly, including to make bookings,
call/sms/ whatsapp on 00232-88-644273 or 00232-88- 808654.
A phone number is by far and away the best method of getting in touch with people in Sierra Leone.
For more detailed information on Cian’s visit, see: http://bit.ly/SierraCian
Or email: cian@changingireland.ie
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