Misión México is an orphanage in Tapachula, where many of the kids there are learning to surf as a way to escape their pasts and build a future.
While there are many heart-warming tales of success from orphans who have perfected the art of chasing a rip and gone on to teach surfing themselves, equally important to the refuge are its many volunteers.
Volunteers head to Mexico each year from all over the world, to surf with the incredible children.
One of these spray-chasing heroes is Scott Kennaugh from Australia, who started surfing with the kids in 2012 and has volunteered with Misión México twice.
Unsure of what to expect on his first time at the refuge, Scott’s first morning was spent down on the beach, getting stuck in with the mini-surf pros. He said of his first busy day at the orphanage: “I watched in amazement as the four vans were loaded up with shortboards, longboards, foamies, bodyboards, life-saving equipment and then crammed full with 50 kids + volunteers. I will never forget that first day at the beach, playing in the shallow water with the younger kids and sharing waves with the older kids.”
The experience had an instant impact on Scott. He continued: “The smiles on the faces of the youngest to the oldest was infectious. It is so refreshing to escape the angry crowds of our culture and be caught up with the pure joy the kids experience simply from being outside and at the beach.”
Misión México is more than a refuge, as it prides itself on being a happy home where the children are treated as though they are part of a big, friendly family – a value that is clearly visible through the group surfing activities.
Scott commented: “I was just as excited as the kids as we looked forward to the end of the week and ‘family beach day’. There were many exchanges made throughout the week that if a kid behaved well then they could use my 'cool' surfboard or that I would take them out surfing first.”
When looking back over his volunteering experience as a whole at Misión México, Scott says he has a “tough time” picking a favourite moment, as there were so many different surfing experiences. He said: “I loved being able to go out surfing with the older kids, just like I would with my best mates at home and hoot and holler when someone got a rad wave, and laugh when they got smashed. I love the enthusiasm with which the older girls muscle their way into the line-up and how their spirit has caught on and the younger girls got just as excited to go surfing.”
He added: “I took it upon myself to show the little boys that the ocean was to be respected but not feared. We definitely had some laughs as I threw them around in the shorebreak and then took them further and further out the back and pushed them into waves.”
The magic experience of volunteering at Misión México will stay with Scott for the rest of his life. He reminisced: “Every time I paddle out for a surf now, I think back to my time at Misión México and remind myself how lucky I am to do what I do and to be grateful for every surf – and every chance I get to share that experience with someone.”
If you like the sound of volunteering with a difference and you want to splash around with the passionate young surfers at Misión México, head to lovelifehope.com for more information.
Create a surfing memory that will stay with you long after you hang your surfing gear up to dry.