Sirenitas Surf Club connects girls to their inner power through sports (surfing and swimming) and education. Since 2017, it has been working with girls in rural coastal communities in Central America, using water-based sport as an entry point to create safe, consistent spaces where girls can build confidence, physical skills, knowledge, agency, and leadership.
In Tierra Bomba, Colombia, many Afro-descendant girls and their families remain excluded from economic opportunities and essential services. Girls face barriers to education and economic opportunity, alongside deeply rooted gender norms, gender-based violence, teenage pregnancy, and limited agency over their futures. Girls also have limited access to safe, consistent spaces where they can build supportive relationships, develop confidence, and explore new possibilities for themselves—including in ocean sports, which have traditionally been less accessible to girls in the community.
With support from the Girls Opportunity Alliance Fund, Sirenitas will implement a girl-centered program that uses surfing and swimming as a platform for girls’ development and leadership. Through weekly sessions, girls will build swimming, surfing, and water-safety skills while strengthening confidence, resilience, teamwork, and a sense of belonging. The program pairs these activities with workshops on sexual and menstrual health, leadership, and career planning, creating a consistent space for girls to gain knowledge, build supportive peer relationships, and develop greater agency over their futures. Prior experienced participants will also take on leadership and mentorship roles, helping younger girls build their skills and confidence while creating a pipeline of girl leaders within the community.
The program will directly reach 15 girls and approximately 50 community members. As the program continues, Sirenitas wants to continue ensuring that the curriculum responds to girls’ realities and aspirations. The organization hopes to see girls grow not only as surfers and swimmers but as confident young women who support one another, make informed choices, take on leadership roles, and see themselves as active contributors to their community.
To learn more about Sirenias Surf Club, please visit their website and social media pages:
See more projects: Latin America & the Caribbean