SurfAid International
Encyclopedia
SurfAid International is an international charitable organization
working in the Mentawai Islands
of Indonesia
. It was founded by Dr. Dave Jenkins of New Zealand
in 2000. In 1999 he was on a surfing trip in the area and saw the health problems of the local people. SurfAid's early efforts were focused on providing health education to the people and mosquito nets to prevent the spread of malaria
.
SurfAid came to international attention after the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
when it provided medical aid to its victims. It was able to reach people on small islands, who were among the hardest hit, because it used small boats and its people were familiar with the area. SurfAid received financial aid from the government of Australia
and from individual and corporate donors. Its main office is in Padang, Indonesia
and it has branch offices in the United States, New Zealand and Australia.
In 2007 SurfAid announced a multi-year project to control malaria throughout the Mentawai Islands in cooperation with the Indonesian government and UNICEF. In 2009 SurfAid was expanding its work into the nearby Nias Islands, had received several international awards, and was receiving donations of about $3 million per year from private and corporate donors, most involved in the sport of surfing
.
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
working in the Mentawai Islands
Mentawai Islands
The Mentawai Islands are a chain of about seventy islands and islets off the western coast of Sumatra in Indonesia. Siberut is the largest of the islands. The other major islands are Sipura, North Pagai and South Pagai . The islands lie approximately 150 km off the Sumatran coast, across the...
of Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. It was founded by Dr. Dave Jenkins of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
in 2000. In 1999 he was on a surfing trip in the area and saw the health problems of the local people. SurfAid's early efforts were focused on providing health education to the people and mosquito nets to prevent the spread of malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
.
SurfAid came to international attention after the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake...
when it provided medical aid to its victims. It was able to reach people on small islands, who were among the hardest hit, because it used small boats and its people were familiar with the area. SurfAid received financial aid from the government of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and from individual and corporate donors. Its main office is in Padang, Indonesia
Padang, Indonesia
Padang is the capital and largest city of West Sumatra, Indonesia. It is located on the western coast of Sumatra at . It has an area of and a population of over 833,000 people at the 2010 Census.-History:...
and it has branch offices in the United States, New Zealand and Australia.
In 2007 SurfAid announced a multi-year project to control malaria throughout the Mentawai Islands in cooperation with the Indonesian government and UNICEF. In 2009 SurfAid was expanding its work into the nearby Nias Islands, had received several international awards, and was receiving donations of about $3 million per year from private and corporate donors, most involved in the sport of surfing
Surfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
.