The proof is in the pudding

The real worth, success and effectiveness of any endeavour – from plan to creation, effort and final venture - can only be determined by putting it to the test. Appearances and promises aside, you will not really know its value until you give it a go! And that is exactly what we did over the last TEN YEARS in Mossel Bay with our vision of establishing a successful non-profit surf program. And we can now positively say that our Core Surf Program works!

So, let us prove it. Where is the pudding?

It is in the numbers!

In July 2017 we began capturing data about our Core Surf Program on a daily basis, including the attendance of each individual child and each day's activities. This interesting data has revealed some clear trends over the past years. And it shows up in the numbers!

It is all about commitment

We proudly display our MISSION STATEMENT everywhere. It is the reason we exist:

"The empowerment of marginalized and impoverished youths through surfing

and character-building activities that teach commitment and dedication."

Learning new skills, acquiring knowledge, working, studying, earning a promotion, building relationships … everything requires commitment. While there is little doubt that commitment creates personal growth, the real question remains: "Are we really teaching commitment?"

Numbers do not lie.

You can click to view our complete day-to-day 2019 Attendance Register, while the more interesting details are summarized in our Annual Attendance Report.

But here are some quick numbers to consider:

• In 2019 our Core Surf Program was active on a total of 235 days.

(To put that into perspective, the 2019 public school calendar comprised of 203 days.)

• During the latter stages of 2019 – for the first time ever - we averaged a daily attendance of more than 20 children, every single day!

Attendance is commitment.

The average annual attendance numbers are even more significant! Especially when the children are grouped according to their level of experience and the time spent in the programme.

The newcomers and those that are only somewhat experienced in the Core Surf Program respectively maintained an average annual attendance of 57% and 64%.

However, the most experienced children maintained an average attendance of 88% - a number well above the less experienced groups. In other words: as the children grow in their understanding and experience of the programme, so does their average attendance increase.

This undoubtedly confirms, that over time, our programme most definitely teaches commitment!

This is good news for all of us! Firstly, the TEAM working around-the-clock to maintain and grow the programme. Secondly, for our sponsors and supporters, who trust us with their funds and resources. We all felt it, intuitively we knew, but it is good to be able to put a real number on it.

As mentioned in our previous newsletter, 2019 was a tough year. While our Core Surf Program has grown in leaps and bounds, it has not been easy to keep up with funding.

In order to help us continue the work we have been doing since 2010, please consider making a donation via our website or our ongoing GoFundMe campaign.

If donating via our website, please consider selecting the option: "Make this a monthly donation".

If you cannot contribute financially, there are many other ways to help:

• You could forward this email and

• You could connect with us on social media, here and here, to like and share our posts.

Thank you for your ongoing support!