How a Passionate Surfer is Leading a Sea of Change in Robertsport

This story is a continuation of blog post "Capitaizing on Waves in the Seaside Town of Robertsport"

Liberia is evolving. The country has a new president, the roads have been done up, even the UOF compound has a few new faces among the stalwarts. But as UOF founder Kent Bubbs said to me, change is a good thing, and it's something that he has learned not to resist. In the next few instalments of this series, I will be telling a handful of the many positive UOF- led stories of change that abound in the seaside town of Robertsport, starting with the remarkable Oscar Commey.

Oscar has been sharing his passion with the girls and the younger kids of Robertsport

UOF unlocking potential at the Robertsport Surf Club

Oscar, a 29-year-old UOF scholarship student, is passionate about surfing. So passionate, in fact, that he is now the head of the Passionate Surfers Group in Robertsport. He believes that surfing has the potential to change the lives of the people of Robertsport. But aside from all the economic benefits of surf tourism, there is a wealth of social, educational and cultural goods that can come from building an environment to receive tourists and put Robertsport on the map of world surfing. 

Surfing is giving the people of Robertsport so much more than just the economic benefits of tourism

Through the Passionate Surfers Group, Oscar teaches people to swim, trains them to surf and organises weekly beach cleans. The group was first established after UOF welcomed Waves for Change, a South African surf-therapy charity, to train the youth of Robertsport in surf therapy with the aim to create a safe and open environment for members to learn and grow together. 

Passing the baton to the next generation

Oscar and Patience Tehteh, who helps run the programme, have been teaching young girls and boys to surf. “We want to encourage people and share the knowledge so we can get the younger generation to carry it,” he told me. “When we can no longer take part in it we want it to carry on. We want to share our passion.” And some of the youngsters definitely have the potential to make a career from surfing thanks to the passion that Oscar and Patience have shared. 

Reagan, the young champion of the Juniors division at this year's surf contest, also came through the Passionate Surfers group

Liberia’s girls learn to surf

There are now about 19 girls in the 40-strong group, and this year’s annual national surf competition, which is co-sponsored by UOF, had more than double the number of Liberian women competing than the year before. After the contest, Oscar was encouraged to get back to work and aims to get even more girls in the water for next year’s event! “I am motivated to get back into it now! Next year we can see the girls ripping!” 

Oscar has dedicated a lot of time to teaching girls how to surf. This year there were 17 Liberian girls competing - up from just 5 last year!

Beach cleans to keep Robertsport pristine

The group also meets twice a week to clean the beaches all the way from Loco’s to the club. In addition to the environmental reasons for cleaning the beach, Oscar sees it as a way to preserve the beauty of Robertsport for those visiting. “We don’t want the tourists to see plastic on the beach. We want people to come here and when they post some pictures, the world will be like ‘wow, that’s a nice place!’ and then come to visit us.” 

The Passionate Surfers gather twice a week to clean their beautiful beaches

Bring on the future

Without people like Oscar there would be no tourism project to speak of. UOF has empowered these dedicated and ambitious people to unlock their potential, through providing scholarships to people like Oscar and funding to projects like the Passionate Surfers Group. Oscar has faith that all the hard work will bear fruit for the people of Robertsport: “One day we all will laugh! And those who laugh last, laugh the best! All the surfers are strong together.”