Humanitarian World Title

NZ charity SurfAid International has won the 27 Humanitarian Award at the World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations (WANGO) awards in Toronto. SurfAid International was founded by Wellingtonian Dr Dave Jenkins in 2, to improve the health of people living in the isolated regions he discovered through surfing. SurfAid’s work has been focused on Indonesia’s poverty stricken Mentawai Islands and Nias Island. “SurfAid’s unique cutting edge solutions to alleviate the human suffering … promoting community-based solutions and tapping into the inherent values in the surfing community – individualism, courage, dynamism, and adaptability – is an example of humanitarian service that deserves widespread recognition,” Taj Hamad, Secretary General of WANGO. “… [W]e did not win the Rugby World Cup, but we just won the world title for 27 humanitarian excellence,” said Jenkins. ” … Once again we have fought above our weight and won. I hope Kiwis are very proud of who we are and what can achieve as a small group of determined people who feel the need to celebrate the good fortune we had of being born in NZ by giving back to those less fortunate.”