The second smallest African country can’t be seen in most world maps but their reality needs to be shown and changed!

SÃO TOMÉ REALITY
Extreme poverty, violence, lack of health care and education, are some of the challenges that children on the island face daily. Girls are found, in the vast majority of cases, at a disadvantage given the extreme gender inequality, not only in the social and professional environment but also in family structure. They are the most vulnerable when it comes to physical and sexual abuse - which results in most cases in early pregnancy (27% - data unicef 2008) making them prefer stay indoors rather outdoors.

WHAT SOMA HAVE BEEN DOING
It all started in October of 2020 when Francisca Sequeira, the founder of Soma surf, went door to door to seek parental permission before the big day. Those efforts saw 26 girls, aged between 6 and 18, turn up the page of São Tomé surf history.

The day that local women surfed for the first time!

Since that day, these young girls have been surfing 3 times a week, with their coaches. Our Surf Therapy sessions include surf instruction, community healing, mindfulness practices, breathing exercises and much more to come!

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