Charity

Nov 18 2016

Share The Stoke (Development Surfing Competition)

Muizenberg has been getting hit hard by the onshore South Easter winds lately, and it was on one of these crazy days that the Share the Stoke development surfing competition took place.

Kids from a number of outreach surfing projects, from as far as Mossel Bay braved the wild surf and ‘supermoon’ spring tides to compete. As wild as the conditions were, all the kids had a super fun time.

MBC entered a team of 5 kids: Asi, Yamkela, Frankie, Abel and Lee (his first ever surfing competition).

Heat 1 – MBC in Blue

The team decided Lee should be the first to surf in each relay-style heat. All of the guys chose to ride shortboards rather than the easier to ride Learn 2 Surf beginner, foam surfboards. The super rough and windy conditions meant 90% of the waves were just powerful walls of white water. Strong currents took them a hundred meters from where they paddled out almost immediately. Now and again some of white water waves cleaned up on the inside before washing up onto the beach.The boys managed to catch a few of these and took 1st place in the 1st heat!

Heat 2 – MBC in Red

Heat number 2: The winds got stronger and the tide got higher!

Asi and Yamkela got a few great waves, and Frankie and Able looked confident in the wild surf with a couple of long rides each. Lee was dealt a baptism of fire in this his first ever surfing competition but handled the pressure of surfing first in all his heats like a champion. The overall effort from all the guys and some solid team work saw them win their 2nd heat and advance to the semi finals!

Heat 3 (Semi Finals) - MBC in Yellow jerseys (They liked to think of it as the John-John Florence heat)

Heat 3 (Semi Finals) – MBC in Yellow . They liked to think of this as the “John-John Florence” heat

The current WSL Surfing World Champion is the young Hawaiian surfer, John-John Florence – an absolute hero of the MBC kids! The surfer leading the rankings during the year long international surfing tour, wears a yellow jersey/rash vest. This year John-John Florence was in the lead for most of the year and the kids know of him as the surfer in the yellow jersey. They felt extra motivated for the semi final heat wearing their yellow rash vests and made it through to the finals!

They decided body warmth and staying out of the wind was the best way to stay warm before the Finals

The final heat of the competition was held on full ‘supermoon’ spring tide in howling onshore winds. The currents, surges and backwash waves were incredibly challenging – but the kids handled like legends and took 2nd place in the comp!

All the kids in the competition received a prize!

Big smiles! (& 2 new Firewire surfboards, caps, Tshirts, Zig Zag magazines and SILVER medals!)

Huge thank you goes to Rory Heard from Share The Stoke and SSA (Surfing South Africa) for putting on such a great event!

The kids are psyched for the next one!

By muizenbergbeachclub • Uncategorized • • Tags: Charity, firewire, John-John Florence, Learn2Surf, NGO, NPO, share the stoke, surf development, surf outreach, Surfing, surfing competition, surfing lessons, surfing outreach, WSL

Dec 27 2015

Sunshine, Sand, Surf!

School’s out for the season. The kids are on their holiday. And with more free time to surf, that is exactly what the boys have chosen to do.

After two short stops on the train ride from their home in Steenberg, the boys arrive in the morning to MBC, suit up, and spend their days and hours out at the beach. At times the boys will remember they haven’t yet had their lunch, but just as easily they’ll forget their stomach’s grumbling as the ocean calls them back into the surf.

Catching waves with the boys has been a blast! Here I am the volunteer and it’s them who have been so helpful with teaching me. They genuinely wanted to see me learn during my month here. Many times Frankie and Abel would stay nearby in the ocean and call out for me which waves I should catch. They’d yell out, “Turn your board around now! Paddle! Start paddling! Keep paddling!” Before I knew it, I was picking out my own waves and standing up more times than I could count. It’s so great to see their love for surfing and their willingness to share it with others, just as it’s been imparted to them.

Last week, taking full advantage of Muizenberg’s beautiful beaches, we organized games and fun competition for the boys, both on the sand and in the water. Frankie won both the foot race and soccer agility match. Temba came in a near second. And when it came to the surfing, everyone knew Asi would take the win. Abel, deserving a notable mention, still surfed with an injured foot. Tough boy! I had to tell him to sit it out until he knew exactly what was wrong and he finally conceded. It’s so obvious for many of these boys that being in the ocean is irresistible. Even with swollen foot, Abel admitted, “Surfing’s a part of my life. I want to be out there!”

Now as we head into the holidays, I’m bummed to say that only a few days remain before I head back home and my time at MBC comes to a close. I am so looking forward to spending this Christmas with the kids before I leave, meeting their families, and trying some local homemade South African dishes. I cannot believe how quickly this month flew by. Spending time with the boys has certainly been an honor and privilege. Each day getting to know these boys has been such a treasure, and they truly have become like my little brothers! I cannot say it enough, “Go MBC!”

By muizenbergbeachclub • Uncategorized • • Tags: #CapeTown, #MBCYouthDev, #volunteers, Charity, Children, Kids, laughing, Learn2Surf, MBC, MBC kids, Muizenberg, Muizenberg Beach Club, nature, Soccer, South Africa, Steenberg, Surf, Surfing, Volunteer, volunteering, Youth

Dec 11 2015

Wavescape Surf Film Festival

Saturday afternoon we loaded up in Ant’s bakkie and headed with the boys to Camp’s Bay for a swim and movie night on the beach. It was a first for me and so much fun riding in the back of a truck on a main highway and then at the beach digging to form sunken sand sofas to relax and enjoy the open air cinema that is part of the annual Wavescape Surf Film Festival. On Clifton 4th Beach, after finding our place up front near the big screen and once nestled cozy in our newly dug-out sand chairs, with packed sandwiches and fruit in hand (thanks to Shani!), the boys sat back and relaxed, eyes fixed on the pro surfers in the films who go and travel the world giving their lives to chasing waves. Film after film, you could see how the boys found inspiration to dream big and chase their passions. And by the end, despite it being late into the night, Asi and Toufie just wanted to jump in the water and surf.

But soon after the last short film, the crowd cleared up, and we, too, packed our things to get back home. Then came my personal favorite part of the weekend, just sitting in the back of the bakkie with the boys. As the wind out picked up, we tried to keep warm with only one blanket to go around. The ride home was entertaining to say the least. I learned Temba is great at storytelling and has quite the imagination. Whymph will bust out into song with lyrics he’ll come up with on the spot. Asi and Abel I found out share my love for sardines. Phila remains adamant on his views of pumpkin pie (I still have 2 weeks to convince him). And the rest of the ride just felt like I was hanging out with my little brothers! When we dropped off the boys at their home in Steenburg, they were keen to point out to me the nearby corner shop that serves Gatsby. It’s apparently a local favorite dish and a must try while in South Africa. It’s going to happen!!

Besides all I learned from the boys riding in the bakkie Saturday, a sweet highlight from my second week here and something that became very apparent to me was the huge heart of the man behind MBC. In these 5 years, Ant Scholte has done much more for these boys than simply introducing them to a love for surfing. He invests his heart and his time for them. He provides an outlet for these boys, where they can come feel safe, unthreatened, and carefree–just as kids should be. I see it so clearly. I see it when he gives of his weekends to rest and instead chooses to spend it with the boys. I see it when he stays back to carry their bags, boogie boards, and wetsuits when they forget. He instills values by example, tells them the hard things, and encourages them to pursue the important things. The sacrifice this man makes for these boys is humbling and inspiring! And as the boys would say, “GO MBC!!”

By muizenbergbeachclub • Uncategorized • • Tags: #CapeTown, #MBCYouthDev, #volunteers, Beach, Charity, Children, Cinema, clifton beach, film festival, gatsby, Kids, Learn2Surf, MBC, NGO, Surf, surf movie, Surfing, Surfing South Africa, Volunteer, volunteering, wavescape, Youth

Nov 12 2014

Soccer

Every Thursday is soccer day at MBC.
Not much to say about it, just look at the pictures to see how the kids enjoy it!

Soccer field in Muizenberg

Siya in action

Goalkeeper Asi

Mike

Kiyaan’s dream: Become a professional soccer player

Yamkela – practicing some Kung Fu kicks

Siminkiwe

Siya again

Wayden

Wayden taking a selfie in Anna’s sunglasses

Asi

It’s all about fun

Happy and exhausted kids :-)

You want to know more?
Just read the other blogs

By muizenbergbeachclub • Uncategorized • • Tags: #CapeTown, #MBCYouthDev, #volunteers, Cape Town, Charity, Kids, Muizenberg, Soccer, Udo Sommer, volunteering

Oct 28 2014

MBC Olympics

What a historical day!! Nobody will forget the first MBC Olympic Games at this amazing beach in mama Africa’s home.
It was a important day for the kids. The kids competed in 5 games. We started with a fast warm up because the kids were really excited to start the competition.
First game was a 60m run, on time. The first runner was Siminkiwe, he start really power full and finished in a really good time. Sia also gave us his best.

The fastest runner was Siminkiwe

Sia goes fast

Second game was to score a ball into a blue bucket 15 meters away. In this game the kids who play soccer have a bigger chance to score than the surfer of the group perhaps.

soccer game

MBC soccer game

Wayden start’s the next game were it was important to know something about South Africa. Adrian was the next which was tested for its expertise, and these questions were more difficult than the kids expected.

Wayden is always smiling

“questions” game Nr. 3 of the MBC olympics

The next round we were extremely excited. It was a talent show where the kids can show us whatever they want. We had no idea what to expect as a jury. Yamkela and Kiyaam took our breath away. Yamkela was doing some crazy jumps in the air, and Kiyaam played drums on a surfboard. Which was really cool!

Yamkela – king of the MBC backflip

Kiyamm the drummer

The final competition was surfing. 5 minutes in the water and try to catch as many waves you can. Asi is a very deticated surfer and was really looking forward to this competition.

Asi best MBC surfer

Last game was surfing

It was a fair competition for the kids with very different games, so each kid had a chance to win gold, silver or bronze medals. After this day we had a lot winners because all the kids did a fantastic job this day. Phila win the gold medal, Asi silver medal and Kiyaam the bronze medal.

The first MBC Olympics gold meddle winner 2014

yeeeaaahhhhhh Muizenberg Beach Club first Olympics!!!!!!

By muizenbergbeachclub • Uncategorized • • Tags: #volunteers, Cape Town, Charity, Children, dance, drums, fun, games, jumping, MBC, Muizenberg Beach Club, olympics, poor, running, shacks, sing, Soccer, South Africa, southafrica, Surfing, Volunteer, zeus

Oct 3 2014

Braai at Nancy’s

Yesterday was the best day of my life. I have always dreamed about being a part of African love, energy and dance. And it happened! Tonight, all the volonteers of MBC were to invited to ‘braai’ (South African name for barbecue) at Nancy’s house. Nancy lives in Khayelitsha, the largest township in Cape Town. Ant has known Nancy his whole life. She used to work for his grandmother, cleaning her house once a week, and when Ant’s gran died, Ant employed Nancy to work at Learn 2 Surf and the MBC volunteer house. After Nancy finished work on Wednesday, we all drove in the MBC bus to the township where Nancy lives.

When we arrived, we made a short walk among the houses to see how people live in the township. The locals have very little money and most of them have built their own houses from things they have found – but everyone was so happy and friendly – not like the rich people in the fancy houses. Behind us, a small group of kinds was following us. Very curious but also shy, they stayed at a reasonable distance from us .. and Zeus, Ant’s big white dog (is a celebrity in Muizenberg, and very popular on Facebook).

But it was very easy to break the ice with the kids, and I’ve hardly put a child on my back when four others followed. We jumped, laughed, and spun around dancing in the street. It was a great exeperience : I don´t know who were the happiest !

And it was only the beginning ! As a gift, the children gave us a small show of their best dance and songs: national anthem and traditional dances, everything was perfect. At this time, I felt I was exactly where I belong. One of Nancy`s friends was a dancing teacher : she took and water bucket and turned it into drum.

At this time, no matter which color we were, everybody was just dancing and singing and having fun together.

Then, it was braai time. We gave crisps to the children outside, and joined Nancy to eat diner: Later we took some pictures of her family as a gift that we will print for her.

I have never met such friendly, welcoming and smiling people. This human experience was really amazing because it was definitely what I wanted to do in South Africa.

By muizenbergbeachclub • Uncategorized • • Tags: #CapeTown, #MBCYouthDev, #volunteers, braai, Cape Town, Charity, Children, dance, fun, Khayelitsha, MBC, Muizenberg Beach Club, poor, shacks, sing, South Africa, southafrica, township, Volunteer, zeus

Oct 2 2014

Table Mountain & Signal Hill

Hi,
I’m Florent and I’m with my two roomates Friedl (photograph) and Samy (volonteer) to share with you one of our most incredible journey in South Afrika !

Saturday 20^th September : Table Mountain & Signal Hill

Table Mountain

Perfect day to go hiking with the other volonteers of the MBC on Table mountain: amazing sky, not too much wind, just the long road between us and the top!

One objectif : Reach the sun !

From the first step of the climb, you can see a breach between two mountains. Then, every step makes you watch the valley better than your feets: Cape town, the Sea, and Lion’s Head on the left.

DSC_0283-2 Lion’s Head from Signal Hill

After 30 minutes, you can’t see Lion’s head anymore, and it gets colder because you are exactly between the two mountains. No more sun, but an amazing view with water falling from the top on the left, big and pretty stones on the right.

Cape Town during the walk

And after 1hour30, we are in the gorge. Explosion of the sun, after 30 minutes with the head so close to the floor, we finally reach the sky !!

DSC_0273-1

Far away, our second objective : Signal Hill for sunset. Just the time to take the cable car, and here we go !

Signal Hill from the top of table mountain

Signal Hill : It’s 17h45. Sunset is expected around 18h30, just enough time to enjoy the landscape around, table mountain in our back, and the endless sea in front of us.

We walked through the grass to find the perfect view, crossing the road of lovers and other tourist.

DSC_0284-1 DSC_0311-1

And soudainly, it’s happen. Sunset. No more words, enjoy the view.

Florent, Friedl and Samy

By muizenbergbeachclub • Uncategorized • • Tags: Cape Town, Charity, Hike, hiking, Learn2Surf, MBC, nature, SA, signal hill, southafrica, sunset, table mountain, Volunteer

Sep 17 2014

My first weeks with MBC

I’m Anna, a new volunteer from Norway. I arrived a couple of weeks ago and I really love it here. The people are so friendly, the kids are awesome, the nature is breathtaking and the surf is good!

I was really nervous before I left, it’s a long way from Norway to South-Africa, but once I arrived here all my worries disappeared.
Muizenberg is really a lovely place to be. It feels safe and I already feel at home here.

bilde

I’ve met the kids and they are so cool. They all have such different personalities and a lot of energy! It’s so much fun spending time with them!
We have been surfing and playing soccer on the beach.

bilde 1

bilde 2

bilde 4
It’s so much fun surfing with the kids, you can see they are all smiling the whole time and having such a good time in the water. And they are really good!

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DCIM104GOPRO

I’m staying here for 3 months and I really look forward to getting to know the children better and have loads of fun with them!

I also look forward to see all the cool places around here.

(Anna, volunteer from Norway)

By muizenbergbeachclub • Uncategorized • • Tags: Cape Town, Charity, gopro, Learn2Surf, MBC, Muizenberg, Muizenberg Beach Club, Soccer, South Africa, Surf, Surfing, Volunteer, volunteering

Jun 2 2014

Why You Should Be a Volunteer at MBC

1) South Africa

Such a nice country! During your stay here you’ll have the possibility to do a lot of things! Muizenberg and Cape Town are both wonderful places to visit and there are loads of really cool activities to do! And you’ll have all your weekends free!! Thus, hiking, sea experiences (shark diving, seal boat trips, viewing penguins, fishing), wine degustation, rugby games, safaris and even more are waiting for you! If you like parties, Cape Town offers many possibilities.

Furthermore wherever you go here you’ll always discover new things to do! New views! Different peoples! Indeed, South Africa is a multicultural country and you can meet peoples who come from all around the world! Black and white together! And learn a lot about what is real life!!!

2) Muizenberg

You’ll stay in Muizenberg, which is a really nice place that’s well known for its surfing beach!!! Enjoy the perfect waves and live in a wonderful house where you’ll enjoy the chilled atmosphere and the amazing view of the ocean! Ant (MBC president and the volunteer house’s owner) is such a nice guy! He’ll teach you a lot about South African culture! Mainly on the evening in his living room accompanied with his guitar and nice music, like “Sugar Man”. You’ll share your room with peoples who are here for the same reasons as you so everything should go really well! I am really happy to chat with them and learn about their countries, their cultures and their lives.

In Muizenberg, there is a tradition. Each week you’ll enjoy the Bluebird Food and Goods Market, which is the place to be on Fridays! With a wide selection of delicious and different food and alcohol! Surf instructors, volunteers and many other people will be there!

For the rest of the week it’s easy to travel about locally thanks to the train or taxi drivers (really cheap and nice drivers who take care of you). Kalk Bay is only 5 minutes away from Muizenberg and there you can find really cool bars and restaurants like Cape to Cuba!!! You’ll probably also go to Brass Bell, where lots of volunteers and locals take up residence on Wednesday nights to have a go at karaoke! You can have a great party here!

3) Mission

If you like sport, this is the project you must choose! Every morning you’ll enjoy great waves in a wonderful place! For me it was my first surfing experience! And after 2 weeks’ training I caught my first real wave!! It was an extraordinary sensation! I could turn on the wave and feel the speed coming! When I finally fell down off the board, I was like a child – I couldn’t stop smiling! Such a nice experience! Time flies in the water! And even on days when the waves aren’t so good, the ocean as far as you can see is perfect for getting you to empty your mind and think about life!

Three days a week with the kids you’ll play soccer, go hiking and surf!! These kids come from a township and they grow up in a dangerous place where gangsters are present and try to make them cross the line. These kids are amazing! Indeed they are always smiling and love speaking with you and learning about your life. They’ll give you so much!! Time goes really fast with them and you can’t be bored!! During sport activities they like to be with you! And they love jokes! At the beginning it will be difficult to remember all their names but you’ll use some tips to remember them! Cause they all have their own charisma and particularities! For example Themba! You can’t miss him – he will always try to make jokes and play with you!

Twice a week in the afternoons you’ll stay at the office, which is a really pleasant place! You’ll share ideas with others volunteers and try to develop MBC (posting blogs, marketing, communication). You’ll have a blank canvas for developing the project and its workers are always ready to listen to you and help you. All the work you’ll provide will be indirectly necessary for the kids because the more people know about MBC, the more the organisation will benefit. It’s such a good motivation to know you can help them!

Thanks to this experience you’ll change your way of thinking. You’ll learn about real life, share wonderful moments, meet amazing kids and peoples. “Kindness” will be my word if I have to describe South African peoples in one word. This kind of experience will make you understand how lucky you really are.

Don’t think any more!! Go to MBC and enjoy the best experience of your life!

Nico (volunteer from France)

By muizenbergbeachclub • Uncategorized • • Tags: Beach, Cape Town, Charity, hiking, Learn2Surf, MBC, Muizenberg, Soccer, South Africa, Surfing, Volunteer, Youth

May 16 2014

First Impressions: Muizenberg and Meeting the MBC Boys!

This is my first time in South Africa and the first lesson I have learned is to not let anyone’s opinions deter you from travelling to this beautiful country. Muizenberg is the epitome of a beach town; the views of the ocean and mountains are fantastic and the people are chill and friendly. My first week here has already flown by far too quickly…Each day I’m beyond excited to surf and meet the boys for their Muizenberg Beach Club activities. The boys have such amazing spirits and seeing them laugh and play gives me hope that the MBC is truly making a positive impact on their lives. It is such an inspiring feeling to know that you have the potential to change someone’s life for the better and helping to keep at-risk youth away from gangs, violence and trouble is truly rewarding, just being around the boys is so much fun, their laughter is contagious and each day is something new. I am so excited to be spending my time here with MBC, I cannot wait to have more adventures and spend more time getting to know the kids.

A misty mountain top view of Muizenberg!

-Pria (Canada)

By muizenbergbeachclub • Uncategorized • • Tags: Beach, Cape Town, Charity, Learn2Surf, MBC, Muizenberg, Surfing, Travel, Volunteer, Youth

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