Ngor Island Surfcamp - ethical help needed

GoSurfSenegal.com

What will the funds be used for?

• Supporting the staff with monthly salaries

• Paying our monthly rent

• Essential building maintenance e.g. roof fixing for wet season

• Dog food and medical bills for the surfcamp guard dogs

• Maintenance of high-quality surf equipment

• 'Rainy day' bills e.g. surfcamp vehicles unexpected maintenance

• Worthwhile upgrades to improve the overall guest experience

Hello (everyone!) from the surfcamp on Ngor Island in Senegal. I’m Pierre-Louis, if you came here anytime between late 2017 and recently then we would have met. I was the surfcamp manager before taking over the camp from Jesper in 2020. I was thrilled then – and I’m still thrilled now, it’s something I’m absolutely passionate about.

However, the past 18 months have been extremely difficult, and in Senegal, there is no government support system for this kind of work crisis. But we’ve kept our heads up. During all this down time, our focus has been “how can we prepare better and how can we improve things for when we can welcome people back to the surfcamp. It was also very important to me that the camp didn’t just shut its’ doors until it was time to open them again, but rather adapt, be creative and find new ways to keep supporting the amazing team, whom in the most part, have been here much longer than I have. If we’ve been lucky to have you as a guest here, you would have known Mame Gore, and Bai Dam, Oumi, Allasane, Cheik, Mame, Ngalla & Adama. They all make Ngor Island Surfcamp the place it is.

So, despite the surfcamp having no income to work with for the past 18 months, making sure the team were still supported was a decision I felt strongly about and it was the right thing to do. Since the start of the pandemic, we’ve continued to provide a salary for all staff, each and every month.

Additionally though, keeping the surfcamp open has also meant remaining responsible for the regular expenses the surfcamp has - unavoidable things like rent, building maintenance, and even little things that add up like dog food for Rita and T’inquete (who are still here living their best lives!) – All of those regular expenses obviously add up, and today, more than 1 year and half down the line, Senegal’s borders are still closed and there’s no certainty that things will improve before the end of the year. It’s come to the point where even after our prolonged efforts, staying open simply isn’t sustainable anymore without extra support and it feels appropriate to ask a helping hand from the people who are most important to us – and that is you guys! The outstanding community of surfers that have come to Ngor Island in the past, and those who want to come in the future or come back. It’s with a lot of humility that I ask for assistance to keep the surfcamp going. And it’s very important to know that it’s for the sake of the surfcamp, and not myself. Any help we receive will be used ethically, first and foremost, to keep paying the staff, keep paying our rent, and making sure we can offer you an even better surfcamp than before.

If you’d like to know more, I’ve written a list below where you can see exactly what any funds we receive would be used for, but most importantly, if you would like to help us, I’m really happy to say that your generous contribution, however big or small, will be carefully registered AND deducted from any future occasions where you come to Senegal and stay at the surfcamp. Asking for help is something I’ve done everything to try and avoid. Coming to you with this request is not something I’ve decided easily and I wouldn’t dream of taking anything for granted. That is why I hope offering a discount on a future stay at the camp, in exchange for your help now, is a good way to meet in the middle.

Thank you very much for listening. Jerejef as we say in the local Wolof language in Senegal. The link to our crowdfunding will be attached to this video. Have a terrific day and I highly look forward the next opportunity to surf you in Senegal.