Bangladesh

Bangladesh is a nation located on the northern edge of the Bay of Bengal. It is bordered on three sides by India and shares one border with Myanmar. It is roughly the size of the state of Iowa but as a nation, it contains the eighth highest population in the world. On the southeastern side of the country is a coastal city called Cox’s Bazar. Our mission is to ignite a passion for surfing and service within this coastal community of Bangladesh.

VISION

To equip, mobilize and train local Bengali surfers to bless and transform their community.

HISTORY

Surfing The Nations’ first trip to Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh was in the fall of 2003. Since then STN has been instrumental in introducing the sport of surfing to this beach community. Through the generosity of many sponsors and donors, STN has had the privilege of bringing dozens of surfboards and bodyboards into Bangladesh for the purpose of igniting new life and joy in this city. Connecting with the first Bangladeshi surfer, Jafar Alam, has served as a doorway into this beautiful country and its community.

In 2005 surf history was made when the first ever surf contest was held upon the shores of Bangladesh. Surfing The Nations hosted the event, which included a boys surfing and bodyboarding category. The enthusiasm and heart that was shown by the young surfers was enough to amp out the entire community. The passion for surfing that was birthed in the Bengali people helped to pave the way for Surfing The Nations see a surf club established in Cox’s Bazar.

PRESENT

Presently there are over 70 surfers in the nation of Bangladesh. Surfing has provided young people with an identity. The members of the surf club, are no longer categorized as “the street kids” or “the uneducated”, they are now recognized as surfers no matter what social group they were born into. With this new founded identity, a community of young men and women are working together to serve their city. Participating in large beach cleanups, teaching ocean safety, swimming lessons and of course surfing, they have enthusiastically embraced the motto of Surfing The Nations – “Surfers Giving Back”.

FUTURE

Our goal is to see an International Surf Base opened in this newly ignited surf city. The surf center would serve as a community center for the surfers as well as those who are interested to learn. This surf headquarters would be place to mentor the young people, teach English and water safety, develop community projects, bring drug and alcohol-free awareness and help to establish the surfers as entrepreneurs in the surf industry.

TESTIMONIES

Robert McDaniel

What made Bangladesh the best were the people. I’d heard stories and seen pictures of all the surf boys and girls for so long that as soon as I met them I felt a strong connection. I connected right off the bat with an older surf boy named Shahadat, aka. Sha. I was so tired when we arrived in Bangladesh that I fell asleep on his shoulder in a restaurant. Once I woke up I felt a bit awkward but he simply told me to keep sleeping. In the culture I grew up in its strange to sleep on another guy’s shoulder, but there if you see men walking arm-in-arm with men or men resting an arm on one another it is no big deal, its just a sign of friendship between people.

Over the course of the trip I learned a great deal about Shahadat: he has been taking care of his mom and his younger brother Fahad since he was seven years old. He began by selling seashells on the beach to tourists, scraping for money where he could. That along with other low-paying jobs has fed his family as well as put himself and his brother through school. He now plays professional soccer in Bangladesh and leads the new surf club that he and about 10 other surf boys started.
It is a club dedicated to giving back to the community by doing service projects and other outreaches in the footsteps of Surfing The Nations.

On my last night there Sha and I took a walk and he began to tell me about his life. He told me that when STN came to Bangladesh eight years ago he spoke no English. Now he is the best English speaker of all boys. He told me that when STN came it was the turning point in his life. He said to me, “Robert, without STN I don’t know where I would be, because STN says no drinking and no drugs and no lie I don’t want drinking, drugs, or lie.” It was a moving conversation and made me feel very lucky to be doing what I am doing. I saw how the teams that have gone before me have impacted the people and how surfing has improved that community.