Black Star "Learn to Surf" Campaign
Black Star Surf Shop was founded, in part, to help local Ghanaians take ownership of their ocean and beaches by giving them free access to surfboards so they can learn to surf and become more intimately attached to their natural environment, encouraging local environmentalism. We are interested in teaching Ghanaians to surf so that when Ghana becomes a surfing destination the locals can take advantage of opportunities for tourism that include surfing. There are now more than a handful of locals who are beginner to intermediate surfers. Some of the locals are even good enough now to give surf lessons! We also hope by promoting surfing for Ghanaians, that someday there will be a "Black Star" surfer that shines on the international surfing scene just like the Ghanaian national soccer team, The Black Stars, did in the 2006 World Cup. Wouldn't that be cool!
Ahanta Environmental Club
Black Star co-owners Frankee Bordes and Peter Nardini are two of the founders of the Ahanta Environmental Club. The objectives of the Ahanta Environmental Club (AEC) are both to improve the overall environment in Busua and nearby villages as well as educate kids on the importance to them in having a healthy and clean environment.
More specifically, the Ahanta Environmental Club goals are to:
- Provide environmental awareness education by sponsoring beach clean-ups, reading and poetry competitions, drama and performance art, garbage art projects, and sporting events;
- hold regular after-school club meetings for junior club members focusing on environmental education including recycling, sanitation and turtle and animal preservation;
- sponsor environmental club sports teams in which all team members are members of the environmental club and who actively participate in the environmental club activities;
- involve chief and assemblyman in making environmental campaign a community project;
- build "Don't throw garbage here" signs and garbage cans sponsored by local business and painted by kids;
- regular beach clean-ups to rid beach of unwanted trash. involving junior members;
- introduce concept of recycling to Busua ;
- work on sanitation issues and be a community advocate for better garbage disposal, improving and increasing use of public latrines, and building one new public latrine;
- start a sea turtle preservation program to protect and increase the number of sea turtles that nest at Busua Beach.
Community Tourist Center
Black Star Surf Shop is spearheading a project to bring a community tourist center to Busua. The inspiration for this project comes from the success of similar projects in the Volta Region of Ghana. The project consists of finding a centrally located building to set up a Tourist Information Center that is staffed by local representatives. The tourist center would provide information on the many activities in the Busua area. It would also provide accommodation and entertainment information as well as offer guided tours. We are hoping to coordinate our efforts with two NGO's, Ricerca e Cooperazione (RC) and SNVWorld (SNV), who are working in the Busua and surrounding communities on a community-base tourism project. RC and SNV recently completed tourist guide workshops and have certified guides in three villages, including Busua.
The tourist center would also collect a small fee from all guests. These donations will then be used to fund community projects. In one village in the Volta Region where this model of development is being utilized, collected donations where used to build a new water system and a health post. We would like to see this type of sustainable community development here in Busua as well. Trinity Yard Project
Trinity Yard is a project being implemented to provide a secondary level skills-based education in the nearby village of Cape Three Points. Black Star Surf Shop is collaborating with Trinity Yard founders and planning to provide volunteer staff through its surfing and volunteer programs.
The need for this school is very clear. There are three government schools located in village; a kindergarten, a primary and a junior secondary school, all of which are over crowded and understaffed. There is no secondary school in Cape Three Points or any of the surrounding villages, leaving Junior Secondary School graduates unskilled and without access to a higher level of education. After many meetings with the chief, elders and members of the village it was decided that the best way to serve the community of Cape Three Points is to build and run a self-sustaining full faculty school with a library, classrooms, teacher housing and a student run sustainable farm.
Some of the long-term goals include:
-
setting up a program to help tutor younger primary students;
-
opening a store to market student and teacher crafts in the city;
-
building a small clinic to treat common illnesses and spread awareness of health areas concerning the area.
For more information on the Trinity Yard Project visit their website at www.trinityyardschool.org
Medical donations project
Dixcove Hospital Project
Black Star co-owners, Peter Nardini and is wife Katrina, first came to Ghana in the summer of 2006 when they volunteered for three months at Dixcove Hospital, located in the village next to Busua. During his stay in Dixcove, Peter worked with the hospital administration to facilitate a relationship between Dixcove Hospital and Direct Relief International (DRI), an American organization that sends medical supplies, medical equipment, and medicines to hospitals throughout the world who serve low income communities. As a result of their coordinated efforts, an ocean container medical supplies worth over US $300,000 arrived at Dixcove Hospital in the spring of 2008.
While Black Star was started to make it possible for locals and travelers to ride the waves of Busua, we were also founded with the idea of advocating, supporting and participating in local development projects. Our projects are designed in conjunction with local communities and NGO's to improve the overall quality of life of the people of our village and surrounding areas. Check out our "Community Projects" page to see a summary of the projects we have completed or are currently working on.
At Black Star, we believe there are many benefits to combining development, volunteer opportunities, cross-cultural exchange and surfing. This belief has led to the creation of our Surf N' Shine volunteer packages. These packages will allow tourists to come to Busua and learn to surf, meanwhile volunteering on one of our designated projects. Whether you come for a week or two week, there will be an opportunity to combine your awesome surf trip with an ultra-rewarding volunteer experience.
We will begin offering the Surf N' Shine volunteer packages in 2009. The packages will include one price for all accommodation, food, surfing lessons, equipment and transportation. This package will include- for a one week surf camp for example- all accommodations (lodging and meals), four surf lessons, some fun scheduled activities, and week long board rentals. On the days which you will not be receiving surf lessons you will participate in one of our organized volunteer programs for 4-6 hours per day. This will allow our guests to learn to surf, volunteer on our established and much needed projects and practice surfing everyday- there will be plenty of time for this even on "volunteer" days. We will also offer an alternative package for intermediate to advanced surfers who would prefer to go on a surf tour and also do volunteer work.
Come learn to surf and volunteer in Ghana and together we will make a positive impact on the world, one wave a time!
If you are interested in our Surf N'Shine volunteer packages and other volunteer opportunities, please contact Peter Nardini.
The Waves
The Southern Hemisphere swells that hit the Western coastline of Ghana travel great distances to reach our beaches producing some of the cleanest, most orderly waves on earth. The StormRider Guide Volume II notes that the waves in Ghana are consistently head high. This it true, but we also know of places they are consistently bigger. As Ghana is not yet a surfing destination it is marked by hundreds of yet-to-be discovered beach breaks, reef breaks and point-breaks. It is the point-breaks, mostly rights but with an occasional left, that makes Ghana a highly desirable surf adventure destination. The combination of perfect waves, warm water and no crowds, as well as the incredible and limitless experiences of getting off the beaten path and traveling up the coast in a traditional fishing boat, creates the ideal African surf adventure!
Surfing in Ghana means you can explore the many excellent surf spots, ranging from beginner and intermediate to expert, in the nearby villages of Dixcove, Akwidaa, Cape Three Points, Prince's Town, Prince's Town, and Mutrakni Point. All are within 12 miles of Busua and accessible by road or traveling up the coast in a modified traditional Ghanaian fishing boat.
Frankee Bordes and Peter Nardini, co-owners of Black Star Surf Shop in Ghana, started with the idea of providing information and board rentals for surfers and to give the curious and brave the opportunity to get lessons and learn to surf. Contact us today at info@blackstarsurfshop.com.
We offer a wide range of services, surfing equipment, and accessories at Black Star Surf Shop. The shop is stocked with surfing accessories such as surf wax, ding repair kits, leashes and beach items like Black Star T-shirts, board shorts, rashguards, sun tan lotions and blocks, sun glasses, and much much more! You can also depend on us for:
