We are so looking forward to presenting Surfing

Howdy!  We're back with a profile interview (it has been a long time) of a surf trailblazer.  I got involved with Congo activist work years ago after hearing a program during Congo Week on the radio about the war in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the deadliest conflict since WWII.  It's a vast, beautiful country with a huge natural rainforest and mineral rich terrain.  Unfortunately, it is in a serious crisis due to outside greed over control of its wealth (that's a longer blog post). 

With all the tragic news I read about Congo, and with the only images coming out of the country  to be of vulnerable people suffering, I wondered about something more positive and light about the country - namely, if there was surfing in Congo.  I looked online and of course found some waves in Congo. And of course I couldn't help but wonder who was actually surfing in Congo - just outsiders or native Congolese?   I had asked my friend and fellow activist Kambale Musavuli of Friends of Congo if he knew of any female surfers there.  Well, a few months ago he e-mails me and says he thinks he met the first Congolese female surfer, Gisele Eboma, only she lives in New York.  Whether she's one of the first is unknown but as far as I know, she's the only Congolese woman I've ever met who surfs.  She's also a dancer and has a creative eye for fashion.  So I followed up with her and we put together this Q&A. 

Check out her interview below.  Given her background in dance and the arts, it's no wonder she was attracted to the sport of surfing, the love that binds us all.   Happy reading!

Q: Where are you from ?

A: My name is Gisele Eboma, I was born in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo, where as a child I experienced a diverse range of popular and traditional dances.  I moved to New York City and began dancing at Alvin Ailey Extension focusing on Modern Dance, Afro-Cuban dance, Contemporary and West African. I was soon performing with OYU ORO Afro Cuban Experimental Dance Ensemble.

Q: How did you get into Surfing? 

A few years ago, I surfed the waves for the first time in Virginia Beach. I met a pro surfer named Caleb from San Diego. He took me for a ride in the ocean and taught me how to surf. I didn't have my swimming suit with me so I surfed with clothes on. It was so much fun. When we got back to the shore, we all celebrated and cheered to "Gisele's first wave". Caleb works with a foundation called "Surfers Healing."  They take kids with autism surfing in the ocean. To see them with big smiles on their faces is the most beautiful scene ever.  I never felt so alive. All my life I dreamed of surfing waves in the ocean. When little, I remembered drawing in class, a girl with wild hair standing on a surfing board. I wonder how I made good grades. My mind was always somewhere in the ocean, mountains, and forest.

Q: Tell us what inspired you to start Surfing Queen.

A:  When I went to  surf for the first time in Virginia Beach, I fell in love with the sport and the surfing culture. As a dancer, I wanted to bring surf and dance together. This is how Surfing Queen was born. "As a dancer and performer, I’m always looking to grow and continue to move.  Surfing brings something real and deep, the audience can strongly feel and relate to it. Surfers live at the edge and they learn to be comfortable there. I’m very much attracted to that lifestyle. Surfing brings back the little girl in me, the playful one who is always looking to explore and to be ready for the next challenge".   

Q: What's unique about Surfing Queen?

A: Located in New York, Surfing Queen offers a range of stylish surfing clothes and accessories. Surfing Queen gives you a unique sense of African fashion.

Q: What has been your biggest achievement so far with Surfing Queen?

A: Meeting talented and creative individuals. I have also been blessed to show and sell some of my merchandize. My highlight has to be, me appearing in the youtube Surfing Queen video photo shoot done by talented Mr. Hollis King.

Q: What is your biggest challenge ?

A: Sponsorship and serious hard capital that will permit me to have a large workplace that will increase the productivity and  feeling of my designs.

Q: Where can people find Surfing Queen gear ?

A: At this present moment, I'm talking to some creative and professional people to come up with a beautiful website for Surfing Queen. People can contact me on Surfing Queen's Facebook page and see the products  https//www.facebook.com/surfwiththequeen

Q: What's next for Surfing Queen?

A: I'm going to design women's bathing suits, wet suits and jewelry.  Then from there, I will be working on the men's line called Surfing King.

Surfing Queen will not only bring the surf and dance community together but will improve the lives of women in the Democratic Republic of Congo where they are victims of an ongoing war by partnership with non-profit organization like Friends of the Congo. Customers will support this vision by purchasing Surfing Queen products.

Q: What advice would you give to other women regarding creating something from their passion?

A: Follow your passion and your dream, get out of your comfort zone. Sometimes you have to do what's best for you and your life, not what's best for everyone else.  Money can be an obstacle, but you can't give up. There is always a way, like business grants, investments, loans... You got to have faith in your products and service. For me God is my foundation where my strength and inspiration come from. Take risks as well. Here is a quote from HelloBeleiver.com   "Stop being afraid of what could go wrong and start being positive about what could  go right."

Take from "Where in the World is Farhana?"
 
I hope your summer is going fantastic!  The last you heard from me, Bangladesh had broken me (in a metaphorical sense).  But within that experience, something very positive emerged.  Our friend, translator and social entrepreneur, Hazera, became so inspired by our trip that she ended up creating an initiative to educate and improve the livelihoods of girls in the community as part of her Coconut Club Business. 
 
When I last wrote you, she was busy renting out space and organizing the girls.  We received detailed budgets and program plans from her that she spent a great deal of time formulating.  Meanwhile, we were trying to figure out a way to generate some funds to send over to her.  And then came the silence. 
 
I had an eerie feeling something was up as it was not like Hazera to go off the grid. I was scratching my head wondering what happened.  After weeks, she finally emerged only to reveal a slew of immense challenges she had been facing to get the project up and running.  

I came to learn that Hazera began her work, but the dominant male surf clubs of the region paralyzed all development efforts, including going so far as to keep the girls from attending Hazera’s program.  (And that’s not even the half of it).  I didn’t feel surprised at the resistance, but felt shocked at the extent to which some people would try to thwart Hazera’s efforts.  The project seemed to threaten the dominant male surf culture.   I also felt a little guilty that she was so far away having to go through the fire, so to speak, on her own.  There was little we could do from here except to listen and show our support.

Luckily, Hazera didn’t seem too deterred and vowed to continue her work.  After re-grouping, she suggested a different strategy: providing an educational scholarship program (primary & high school, college & university) and sports training to girls.  The program is designed to affect poor (orphan) girls, girls selected from women headed households, disabled girls or are girls who have severe (financial) difficulties to continue their studies, irrespective of race, religion, ideology or politics.  Although it's a charitable approach, it's just the beginning.  A more sustainable development program is the long-term goal.  
 
As Hazera points out, “Cox’s Bazar has the longest sandy sea beach in the world and is fast becoming a new destination for international surfers looking for adventure and a ‘different surf experience’. However, this region is one of the poorest and most neglected areas of Bangladesh, with the highest illiteracy rate. “ So the program operation would attempt to reach girls in several slums, and Cox’s Bazar beach.
 
All beneficiaries would be “first learners”, girls growing up in a hostile environment where almost all their family members and neighbors are illiterate. Most of them have to fight injustice, traditional beliefs, discrimination and prejudice to secure their right to study, let alone use their body in a sport.
 
I’m thrilled at the new direction, and even more thrilled people are showing up to support this unique education surfing girls initiative in a place where girls are most vulnerable.  Hazera will launch this project as a Brown Girl Surf Social Entrepreneur in Residence.  We'll support her to start with coaching, funds and resources. 
 
I had put together a small campaign to sell the remaining card decks we made from our trip as a way to raise a bit of funds to help fund Hazera’s endeavors and our storytelling.   Check them out – they are pretty cool!  Half of our proceeds will be sent to support educational scholarships for girls.

We have raised some funds and will be sending it over to Hazera in the coming weeks.  If you’d like to be a part of this, you can purchase some decks here.
 
When you’re in the business of activism on behalf of women and girls, it’s not uncommon for things to start and to get pushed out of the way. It just means you have to get more creative with the work.  What’s most interesting for me is how in contrast the story of surfing in India is to Bangladesh, where India’s female surfer is not only an independent business owner of her own surf school, but lives happily near the beach and doubles as a Roxy model in her spare time.  (Just a little compare and contrast for you).  She is also a journalism major so has all the tools and platforms at her disposal to craft and tell her own story to the world. 
 
On another note, we finally got confirmation that Patagonia in San Francisco will be screening our 2 short films from Surfing Possibility on October 8th , just in time for International Day of the Girl.  Though I’m excited to screen the short films, in all honesty, only a slice of the story (from Bangladesh at least) can really be captured.  The real story lives in these writings I’m sharing with you.  For this reason, we will be including an additional round table discussion to update you on the other meta-stories to this entire journey. 
 
It’s hard to know what conclusions to make regarding Surfing Possibility and the impact surfing is having on the girls in Bangladesh.  But undoubtedly the story of how it started there is fascinating.  It began with just one person surfing, and then was built up with the help of Western Evangelicals with an agenda to convert.  Amongst the various agendas, girls were somehow included.  Yet based on my experience, it seems through it all, the girls, more than anything, are positioned as a way to market the self-interest of other male surfers and surf clubs.  Our girl friendly initiative focuses on developing and empowering girls and in our model is led by a local woman leader.  My hope is that one day girls will not be treated as possessions, but as strong, educated, women with strong, local role models to look up to.
 
On another note, I also launched a new business - Surf Life Coaching.  A few months ago, I was seriously wondering how in the world Brown Girl Surf, coaching, my leadership experience all fit into one another.  After many months of reflection and work, Surf Life Coaching is what surfaced and I’m excited to share it with you. Through Surf Life Coaching, I'm using the philosophy and techniques of walking, surfing and applied neuroscience to help guide people's mind, spirit and body towards a business and life they love.  www.SurfLifecoaching.com

After starting a non-profit and now working on brown girl surf, I have to say launching a business feels 100 times easier.  I’m learning that sometimes the rise of something new, be it in business or in the social sector, always awakens something deep in others – something that feels threatening, or that causes people to feel a loss of control – whether it be control of people, ideas, or money.  That, as a new business owner, I’m learning is certainly a common thread I see emerge in both worlds. 
 
Anyways, that’s all the news from this part of the world.  I intend to stay put for a few months at least, spending time doing Surf Life Immersions with leaders and individuals on the Northern California coast, planning a Surf Life Retreat in Costa Rica next year, and continuing to work with Hazera on next steps with our initiative. 
 
As always, I invite you to be part of our Brown Girl Surf community.  We’d honor and welcome your ideas and support.  
 
In the meantime, please save the date for our Patagonia screening on October 8th from 6-9 pm in San Francisco.

Stay tuned!  Coming soon!!!

From: Where in the World is Farhana?

It has been 3 months since coming back from the Surfing Possibility trip. I had meant to send out some type of picture perfect ending message from that trip, but I didn't because I had a severe case of writer's block.  In truth, I had no idea how to share with you the meta-story to my trip – my most cherished gold and black pearl necklace that went missing out of my bag, the struggle we felt watching the surfer girls embody freedom in the water, only to become objects of male control once on land, the lies that were told to us, the name calling, the upper respiratory illness, the food poisoning.  Yes, for all the great blogs I wrote about our adventures, I couldn’t help but feel a bit broken down from Bangladesh upon my return. I landed at SFO and rolled myself into my friend’s car after 6 hours of food poisoning where I became one with Emirates' toilet.  It felt like a journey that required much physical and mental recuperation. 
 
As I was recovering from my food poisoning–come-illness (which took a good month to contain), I wracked my mind about ways to lighten the story of the heavy reality of the girls’ lives.  It was a reality that revealed itself to us in various ways.  I also tried to reconcile our “possibility” narrative that framed this awesome trip against some of these realities. In fact, I spent most of January trying to make sense of it all.  What impact did we make from taking this trip?  What was true about the interviews we captured?  Who really showed up because they were truly a surfer?  Who of the girls showed up because the "boss" knew it would be good PR for business? In this web of confusion that was also a reality of our trip, I couldn’t help but feel a little duped. 
 
I began to reflect back on the hours of conversations we had with our translator and with my Co-Producer, Cara Jones of Storytellers For Good.  We discussed for hours the economic situation of the girls, and the sheer vulnerability they faced with no strong nuclear families.  At one point in our journey, we were all ready to launch a full-blown surf retreat in order to employ the girls so they could have a sustainable wage.  That idea lasted a few days until I thought to myself “How am I going to do that?”  We barely raised money for my ticket to come here and I was in the middle of launching my coaching practice.  Cara was in the middle of making a full-length documentary and also ran a business full-time.   When would we have time to invest in a third venture?

I was delighted when Hazera, our faithful translator, sat down with us one day, passion and zeal oozing from her 5’0 petite Bengali body.  She began to reveal her vision for how this could all work.  “I want to take this on,” she told us.  We were thrilled because she is such a capable, smart, entrepreneur and better yet, she was born and raised in Cox's Bazar.  By “this”, she meant the eco-surfing camp and reality tour idea we had been playing with.  It was as if we got to witness that ah-ha moment of the social entrepreneur – the one that seizes them into a fit of inspiration so strong that propels them forward into obsessively living their life purpose. 
 
And I thought to myself, how could I NOT be a part of this?  My role now?  To be her coach, of course! ;)  And I too started to see a way forward and how this collaboration of sorts would work.  I’d coach this social entrepreneur pro-bono for 6 months and she’d drive forward her idea so together impact could be made. We began our sessions in late December in Cox's Bazar and continued via Skype from there.
 
When I returned from my trip, I noticed something interesting in one of the Facebook albums of the Bangladeshi surfer dudes.  It was a picture of Nasima on a surf trip in her surfing catsuit (the one her husband had thrown a fit over).  Given the struggle I witnessed while I was there between her husband and the suit, I was pretty stunned to see this pic and wondered what had changed.

The next thing I know, I receive an e-mail from Hazera informing me that Nasima, the 15-year old aspiring pro surfer girl, was divorcing her husband. 

As if that wasn’t enough news, after 3 coaching calls, I woke up to find this link www.coconutclubbangladesh.wordpress.com posted on my Facebook page from Hazera – a fully developed Wordpress website, with the vision for this surf camp retreat strategically woven into Hazera’s social business named ‘The Coconut Club’.  I teared up upon seeing it.  At that moment, I had a shower of insight too.  This was the work of the new social entrepreneur – to actually be in the field, collaborating, inspiring, coaching, and exploring possibilities and not behind a desk running database queries  and asking people for money – to really be IN IT.  Brown Girl Surf seemed like such a crazy, indulgent idea when I first started it.  And now I was beginning to see the exploration leading to something I never imagined possible.

Nasima’s divorce has since been finalized.  The last I heard she was getting papers ready so she could get a passport. In a recent Skype coaching call with Hazera, she went on and on about her idea to start a surf shop, and her vision of traveling to the west to talk about her project and to share the gem of Cox Bazar with the world.  She more recently rented office space so she could start English classes for the surfer girls ,who ironically were some of the most brave and risk taking females we met on our trip – most apparent when they were in the water. Hazera’s plans to access their bravery, freedom and risk taking perspective in the water and bring this to their learnings on the land is the critical insight of this venture.  She has very fittingly names this venture ‘The Surfing Girls Education Project.’  (I am attaching the executive summary, just in case some of you are interested). 

And how cool that shortly after launching, she attended a weekend long event in a think tank with Nobel Laureate Dr. Muhammed Yunus where she discussed her plans for her social venture:

And so, that’s how it all panned out….Barely a month had passed since leaving Cox's Bazar when I started to get reports of these changes.  I thought I’d be telling you all about the sad ending and the hopelessness of the situation of girls actually being free and empowered to live in their possibility.  Instead, it took an unexpected turn (as all good stories sometimes do), and I’m able to leave you, my dear readers, with a story that is truly about the possibility that results from human connection.

Brown Girl Surf has certainly taught me innumerable lessons from this trip.  Mainly, you never really know what is going to happen, and so you just have to start and feel your way forward sometimes (this is true I think in early stage entrepreneurship in general).  How fortunate were we to have met Hazera and how fortunate we had an empowerment through surfing agenda which Hazera knew how to work with right away.  She is galvanizing the girls and the surf community behind this vision, at a time in Bangladeshi history where all the beach front land has been leased out for 99 years to Bangladeshi companies, most of them illegally, for so called "development."    Her role in empowering the surfer girls of Bangladesh means so much in this era of globalization.

This is not only a story of surfing possibility, but of the possibility for change to be made at the ground level, by the leaders and people of the community, faced with the imminent tsunami of global capitalism hungrily eyeing this peaceful beachside town.  If anything, the seeds have been planted and a link has been made for some of the surfer girls and boys of Bangladesh to have a stake in the economic development of their country via tourism.  Perhaps there’s a new vision here for a surf tourism industry that’s unlike Bali, Indonesia or Sayulita, Mexico, where it is carefully crafted, owned and led by its locals, including its women. 
 
And if Nasima ends up living her dream, and doing what she wants to do, helping to shed some light onto her story is so worth it.  All it takes is one person to set off the spark to inspire others of what’s possible.  In fact, her story is so important that our dear friend and talented film maker, Heather Kessinger, has been on a mission to create a full length documentary of Nasima’s story for the past year and a half (her team is about halfway through production).  The name of the documentary is ‘The Most Fearless, an Unexpected Surf Story’.   Brown Girl Surf will be partnering with Heather to ensure that all of these stories get out into the world and can seed a tangible impact for some of the world’s most vulnerable girls.
 
For those of you who are local, please mark your calendar for May 9th in San Francisco (venue to be announced)– we’ll be debuting our Surfing Possibility Profiles: Stories of India and Bangladesh’s Surfer Girls.  I’d love to see you all there for some fun mingling, inspiring stories, drinking, chips and dip!
 
I am not sure where I’ll be off to next. But hope to see you soon, in some far off land!  Oh, and I almost forgot!  Guess who just took their first surf lesson?

Happy Spring!  Hope you have a healthy supply of Zyrtec close at hand.

Signing off from Hilo, Hawaii (where I’m house sitting for some friends for the month…no, Hawaii doesn’t count as a far off land but there are lots of coconuts here).
 
With love,

Farhana

P.S. - Show your support and purchase a Brown Girl Surf T-shirt!   (Logo designed by C.E.O. Women graduate Wen-Fei Hsu)

From: Where in the World is Farhana?

Before I embarked on this trip, I was given a special quilt, made by a special lady named Dionne, of the Wahine Project.  The Wahine Project is an organization that teaches resource poor girls how to surf.  Based out of Monterey, California, they also teach girls how they can respond locally to global issues.
 
When I met Dionne, I thought to myself, ‘Wow!  Someone who has more ideas than me!’  Dionne is a petite woman, with bright eyes and a passionate resonance that just mesmerizes you when you meet her.  She’s the kind of woman who thinks of something and then bam, 24 hours later, she’s managed to manifest it.  She’s just that way. 
 
The quilt came to Dionne one night when she was having trouble sleeping, and was trying to figure out a cool art project to do with the surfer girls in the Phillipines.  She ended up tying two colorful sarongs together.  She then had each girl paint their handprints on it.  The handprints moved together to form the crest of a wave.  It was supposed to be just a simple art project.  But it ended up becoming so much more.

Dionne had no idea that this quilt was in for quite a journey.  In the years that followed, it crossed the border making its way to Puta Mita, Mexico.  Here girls with few resources learned to surf from the Wahine project and then painted their prints on the tapestry.

Then, it somehow landed in the hands of surfer girls in refugee camps in the Gaza Strip via our friend Matt Olsen of Explore Corps.  Here they are painting their handprints on it.

A few days before I left, Dionne met with me and gave me the quilt.  I felt like I was receiving the holy grail of girls’ surfing.  Since I did not get my India visa, I ended up handing it off to Ted, our director of photography just as he was on his way to the airport to catch his flight to India.  Ted then delivered it to Cara who then delivered it to Ishita, India’s first female surfer.  6 degrees of separation!
 
Here’s Ishita and another surfer girl in India, making their mark on the quilt!

I posted the picture on Facebook, like I have always been doing with our trip updates.  Dionne happened to see it.  The next thing I knew I was tagged in a video and a slew of comments started showing up in the Facebook activity feed. The site of the image overwhelmed Dionne so much that she ended up making an on the spot video of her reaction.  I thought I’d share it with you, as it was a really super touching part of this trip. 

Then my friend Sara, who is one of the big brains behind the Blue Marble movement, a global movement to raise consciousness about protecting our ocean,  wrote something in the comment section of the post, that I think pretty much summed the whole thing up for me.  She said:

"Dionne - so sweet and lovely to see you so moved. It's so brave to show love, and to share moments of gratitude that come from a place of pain as well...pain for the difficulties the planet has, yet joy when we open the apature of seeing what is true. Farhana Huq and the entire expedition into Brown Girl Surf is profound social justice/planet justice work...and you made visible what many of us feel inside: happiness and pain, gratitude and passion. Thank you."

The quilt then met me in Bangladesh.  We had the girls put their hand print on it the first day we went surfing together.  When we explained to them what it was, they looked amazed that something had traveled so far and wide and touched so many girls who, despite their nationality, religion, race, and color, had something in common with them – they were lovers of the sea.

As I stood alongside as we made hand prints on the cloth in a combination of red and green (fitting for the holiday season), one of the first things I felt was ‘geez I’m tall!’  I also felt this inexplicable sense of responsibility to ensure somehow these girls were all linked.  How cool would it be if they could all meet one another one day!

I never thought in a million years I’d go to Bangladesh as an adult to surf with girls there, and then hand paint a quilt with them on the beach.  But here I was, smack dab in Cox’s Bazar, on another crazy adventure, doing just that.    I wondered where this would all go, and also where else this quilt would travel to.  I wondered what more I’d learn about the girls, their stories and their challenges.
 
Each time I look at the quilt, I’m reminded that sometimes really profound things are just profoundly simple.  Who would have thought a piece of material could start to connect and bring together these unique (and remote!) communities around the world.  Many don’t have Facebook or internet for that matter, so this might be the closest thing to them knowing there are other girls out there around the world, who share their passion and dreams.       
 


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From: Where in the World is Farhana?

Last I left you, I had an angry man banging on my door in search of his wife, Nasima (forgive me for the misspelling of her name from my last post).  Upon opening my door to let him in, he proceeded to address me in Bangla, his tone of fierce  disapproval more than apparent.  I couldn’t make out what he was saying.  He kept repeating the word “kharab” (“bad”).  I gathered he was asking me where Nasima was.  “Asho,” (come) I told him and pointed to the bathroom where his wife was changing. 
 
Nasima opened the door only to model her new sun suit.  He was not pleased (even though she had put her kurta (tunic) on top of it).  Nasima, in a casual and relaxed tone, looked down at her outfit as if inviting him to take notice.  She simply said, “It’s good.” I kept out of it.  I figured I’d let them hash out their domestic dispute, despite it now happening in the corridor of my own room.
 
After an exchange of some words, it didn’t appear as if he got his way.  Nasima wore her suit and like the other girls, wore her long tunic on top of it.  Though he tried to exert his disapproval with her slick, new, sea faring style, she didn’t appear to be bothered one bit. It was obvious (to me, at least) that she held some amount of power in that relationship. 
 
He left and I briefly asked Nasima about his feelings on the matter.  She said he did not like the suit and that he wanted it covered.  I suggested that perhaps she wear her pants over it as well to be more covered.  I did not necessarily want to be liable for coercing anyone into using the suit either even though something told me he’d grow into accepting it.  She agreed with me and quickly put her pajama pants on. Then we headed out to meet the rest of the girls. 

Nasima’s husband followed us to our surf spot, a designated strip of beach termed “girls’ beach”  where there is far less of a crowd.  He lagged 20 or 30 steps behind all of us.  He stayed pretty quiet the rest of the time and waited patiently while we all dashed to the sea.

This being December, it’s the flat season of surf in Bangladesh.  But there were 2-3 foot waves coming in – perfect for longboarding.  Of course Nasima was one of the first to pop up on a wave.  Check out the burka-wearing sea lover.

It was so fun to see the personality of each girl in the water :  Nasima’s laser focus and skilled wave reading ability,  Ameena’s boyish aggressiveness, Mina’s girlishly giggly nature bubbling out of her as she got toppled by her soft top each time (a large, beginning surf board), and of course Gulapsha’s universal relaxed surfer attitude.  Gulapsha makes me smile the most, and puts me at ease.
 
It’s as if Gulapsha was born with the spirit of the typical laid-back surfer dude-ess.  She is the only one of the girls in school (her brother sells clay pots that she and her mother decorate at home with seashells.  He earns money to pay for her tuition).  Her dream one day is to be a doctor.  But apparently all she talks about is surfing. 
 
Here she is demoing a pop-up on the beach to some of Jafar’s students:

While we surfed in the sea, Hazera, our translator, upon hearing about the incident regarding Nasima’s husband, decided to speak with him a bit.  She told him that what Nasima had accomplished with her surfing is a good thing for Bangladesh, and that he should be proud of her.  She also noted that these types of suits are good because they protect the body from the sun and from jellyfish stings.  She mentioned too that women in the Middle East wear something like them to swim in as well .  “Really?” he said, as if the sun suit suddenly became “legitimized” in his eyes in some way.
 
As we migrated from the beach back to the hotel, Nasima’s husband, without any hesitation, offered to help carry some of our bags and equipment.  I started joking with the girls, practicing what little Bangla I knew that would make them laugh: “Tumar dat coy?” (where is your tooth?)  “Amar gari kothai?”(Where is my car?) and “Ami tuma ke marbo!”(I am going to beat you) to which everyone laughed, including Nasima’s husband.  I know. I KNOW!  (I need to learn some better Bangla.)  It was the first time I actually saw her husband laugh though.  It made me feel at ease and I was glad he came to see what we were all doing. 
 
That day I felt like I honored my personal mission to surf with the girls of Bangladesh and to experience the vastness and freedom of the ocean together.  It also put me in touch with my own internal struggle as someone who grew up Muslim who loves to travel, loves to be athletic and be in my body and experience the freedom of the sea.  In many ways, I feel like I have to surf my way through these blog posts, finding balance in offering my perspectives to all of you - my readers.  The film crew from Storytellers for Good were all part of the evangelical movement (one from The “Moonies”), something they have since let go of as adults.  They have relaxed into a genuine appreciation and acceptance for all religions and spiritual practices.  So it has been great to debrief with them and hear their perspectives on all that there is to take in here.  The only thing that I can really share is my perspective and all the vulnerabilities that come with me from simply being human.  

Still, I feel like we have come to Bangladesh at a most fascinating time in the history of the world. I still see the layer of power males hold in this society (and globally) despite the prime minister of this country being a woman.  This is perhaps why the stories of Bangladesh’s surfer girls, especially that of Nasima’s,  are so interesting to me on many levels.  Nasima once entered a surfing competition and beat all the boys.  What will her voice be in shaping women’s empowerment, and in putting girls and sports on the map, especially in the context of more moderate Islamic majority nations (with pockets of religious conservativeness) set against a backdrop of increasing globalization?
 
I don’t know the answer to these complex questions.  Shit.  I just came to surf and write to you about my adventures!  But surely the stories of these brave females offer us a glimpse into a way of understanding some aspect of our world together and the things that we all have in common.  I know they make me think more of my own life, and how to find the balance that is just right, allowing me to inspire and help others while empowering myself to surf the waves of life that area most meaningful to me.  I hope these stories evoke something within you too.  Each day I am more and more grateful to have been blessed with surfing in my life and am honored to be able to share some of the journey with you.

With that note, I’ll sign off.  Thanks for coming surfing with me in Bangladesh and stay tuned for the next story!
 
 
Sighing off from Cox’s Bazar,
 
Farhana


P.S. - We are still accepting contributions to help us tell the stories of the Surfer Girls of India and Bangladesh through our Surfing Possibility documentary profile.

All donations are TAX DEDUCTIBLE
If you'd like to contribute, you can DONATE ONLINE HERE

OR make checks payable to: Moving Train (our fiscal sponsor)

Mail to:
Moving Train
1530 Frontrero Ave.
Los Altos, CA 94024

EIN #:80-0376076

Please put "Surfing Possibility/Storytellers for Good" in the Note section of the check.

From: Where in the World is Farhana?

I'm getting over a little cold here, but overall have been busy taking in the sights, sounds and waves of Bangladesh.  You must have heard me mention a surfer girl here named Nasima in my previous posts; she was referred to in a recent article by my friend Jaimal Yogis in the Huffington post as The Most Fearless Surfer.  I had heard bits and pieces of her story - that she won a recent surf contest here, that people had hopes she’d be picked up by a sponsor, that she recently got married.  I also heard that she has had a tough, tough life.  (She also happens to be the subject of a documentary film that my friends are working on, but more on that later!).  Needless to say, I have been looking forward to meeting with this fellow surfer for some time. 
 
Nasima couldn’t be with us for the first evening so we went on a quest to find her.  We decided we'd just show up at her home.  So we crammed our crew into a rickshaw (driven by her brother) and tom tom and journeyed to her home.  We passed green rice fields, colorful open fish and vegetable markets, school aged girls clad in full burka (veil) on their way to school amidst a backdrop of economic globalization and expansion.  There were signs for the latest and greatest high rise resort “coming soon” every few feet.  It felt like Cox's Bazar was on some type of economic development map to become the next Bali.  Having spent a few months surfing in Bali in 2010, I'd say this type of rampant development is something to be concerned about, both for the people and for the environment.

I had always looked at Bangladesh as a moderate Islamic state.   But this region of the country seemed to exhibit a conservatism not found in Dhaka or even Barisal, my dad’s district, where I usually travel.  (Interesting fact: the prime minister of Bangladesh is a woman.  Since we've landed, there has been a series of transportation strikes led by the opposition party  resulting in destruction and even death.  The leader of the opposition party also happens to be a woman. )
 
After a half hour or so, we arrived at Nasima’s home.  It didn’t take long for her to appear.  I was stoked to meet my surf sister and embraced her with a big hug.

As usual the visit attracted the stares of all family members. If you can imagine there’s no TV here, so unexpected visitors become the entertainment of the moment!

We asked Nasima if she could come out with us so we could do an interview with her.  I did not realize there would be so many layers of permission she would have to access before saying yes.  First she called her husband for permission.  Then she called the head of her surf club to get his consent.  She got the go ahead from both, but on one condition imposed by her husband - that she wear her burka (full body cloak).  It took her awhile to wrap herself up.  We meanwhile waited patiently outside trying to get her release signed.
 
Here’s the surfer girl, all set to go.

I kept looking at her thinking how much in contrast she looked to the shots I had seen of her popping up on her surfboard riding the waves in the ocean. In that instant she reminded me more of a Russian doll with a bright, smiling face.  I would later see that she was as fluid moving in and out of these identities as she was paddling through the waves of the ocean. 

Muslim women’s dress always seems to be the subject of great controversy whenever the topic of Islam comes up – especially in the surf world. So I'll digress a little on this topic for your edjamakation.  Truth be told, veiling actually has its origins in the Christian tradition and was worn by elite women to designate status. It was later adopted into Islam (as I understand it - at least that's what the academics say, and well, they do read a shitload more of books than we do).  Here's what Wikipedia says: ” In the early 20th century, the niqāb (Egyptian form of the veil) was worn by both Muslim and Christian elite women. This urban phenomenon originated in Istanbul and was part of the harem tradition, in which concubines and freeborn women of the Ottoman-Egyptian elite were secluded in harems that were guarded by eunuchs.[2]   
Who’da known!  History is fascinating in that way…..

FYI - Other famous veiled women:

Did you know that the Portugese brought the chili pepper to India?  And according to the Etymology Dictionary,the word 'surf' was derived from the Indian word 'suffe' which means the coastline. This word was picked up by Portuguese sailors in the 1600's and 'suffe' soon became 'surf'.  Some more interesting things to ponder….
 
Anyways......we headed over to fellow surfer Nahida’s home to do the interview.  We got a little clearer on Nassima’s story, of how she used to sell shells at the beach from the time she was little, to how she started surfing, to how she ended up becoming the best female surfer of the country.  It was hard to gauge her feelings about her current situation being married at age 16.  She seemed much more demure than what I would have thought her to be, and in contrast to the rambunctious nature of the rest of the group.  There seemed to be a calmness about her and a stable core I wouldn’t have imagined from hearing how tough her life had been.
 
She also said something that really made an impact on me.  She believed that if she wasn’t poor, being a surfer would be so much more acceptable for her – it would be like a hobby for her.  But since she is poor, girls like her are expected to marry at a very young age.  Surfing is frowned upon by people and her actions to do it are even more scrutinized. She has had her fair share of negative comments from passer byers each time she took to the ocean.  Despite, she is still surfing; her husband still “let’s” her do it.    It’s ironic that just the other day, we were surfing next to Sheikh Hasina's son and family (Sheikh Hasina is the prime minister of Bangladesh).  It wasn’t a big deal for them to be doing it obviously because they are wealthy (not to mention he’s a dude – it’s just so much more taboo when someone like Nasima does it I guess).

Nasima only recently married her husband who is about 19.   I couldn’t get a clear sense of how Nasima felt about her marriage - whether she felt she had given up on her dreams to do what was socially acceptable or whether she was content with it.  She seemed to think the marriage was good for her and welcomed her husband’s authority.  From an outsiders perspective, she seemed to give over her power easily– asking her husband for permission to go out, asking the head of her surf club (a rival to that of Jafar’s) for permission to be interviewed etc…  I was heartened to know that her fellow surf buddies from her surf club totally opposed the marriage and wanted her to keep focused on her surfing and building her skills in life guarding.  Like brothers, they just felt she was too young to be married.  (She apparently married without them even knowing it). 
 
In these situations of male dominance and control, especially in the name of religion, it often makes me think.  For us, having our husbands dictate what we wear and whether we can do something or go out is a clear red flag for control. For Nasima – someone who has lived her whole life without parents and with nobody to watch over her – I wondered if maybe she welcomed it as a way of feeling loved or feeling that someone is caring for her well being. Her male surf counterparts seem to think her husband takes things to the extreme.  I wondered what she thought.   It’s hard to really know.  Regardless, I was glad to meet her and was ever curious now to surf with this Muslim surfer girl, surfing her own waves of life of being wrapped up like a doll in a burka to hopping on a surfboard in the ocean catching waves.  I couldn't think of two more opposing images.
 
The next day we all headed for the sea.  I had been looking forward to surfing with the girls for some time now.  I had passed out new sun suits to the girls the evening before (courtesy of our sponsor Ecostinger from Italy).  They were overjoyed to get them. They showed up, bright and spunky, ready to hit the waves.

Nassima came accompanied by her husband.  I handed her a new suit and we headed up to my room so she could change.  A few minutes later, there was a loud banging on my door.  I opened it.  It was her husband, looking totally pissed. The rest of the story to come soon.....  
 
Signing off from Cox’z Bazar, Bangladesh!

Farhana


P.S. - We are still accepting contributions to help us tell the stories of the Surfer Girls of India and Bangladesh through our Surfing Possibility documentary profile.

All donations are TAX DEDUCTIBLE
If you'd like to contribute, you may DONATE ONLINE HERE
OR
make checks payable to: Moving Train (our fiscal sponsor)

Mail to:
Moving Train
1530 Frontrero Ave.
Los Altos, CA 94024

EIN #:80-0376076

Please put "Surfing Possibility/Storytellers for Good" in the Note section of the check.

From: Where in the World is Farhana?

I hope you all are doing fantastic!  I am happy to report that the Storytellers for Good team and I made it safe and sound to Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh after more than 30 hours of traveling.  Since I couldn’t go to India, Storytellers for Good went and then met me in Dhaka. (stories from their journey to come soon.)  From there we flew to Cox’s Bazar.

Cox's Bazar is touristy beach town on the South Coast of Bangladesh. It is home to the longest sandy surfing beach in the world.  Yes, surfing in Bangladesh – I know!  It, like most coastal strips around the world, is being infiltrated with various multi-national developers who are building high rise hotels and such changing the face of the once pristine and beautiful landscape (that is a whole other blog story).   

When we landed we were greeted by two members of the Bangladeshi Girls’ Surfing Club.  They presented us with leis of marigolds and roses along with big, bright smiles – a little Aloha Bangladeshi style.   

Jafar Alam, Bangladesh’s first surfer, was there to greet us and 'tom tom' us to our hotel by the beachside. 

This is probably my 5th or 6th time to Bangladesh (my father is from Bangladesh), but my first time going as a surfer.  So as you can imagine, I’m incredibly curious about the waves, the surfers, the surf culture and just how these girls managed to do something so daring here.  Inquiring minds wanna know!
 
We couldn't wait to get into the water so once we arrived, we headed for the surf.  The beach is quite a scene here.  Everyone stared at us as we carried our boards to the water, and a crowd formed around us to see what we were doing.  It was a little uncomfortable at first, but their expressions were very much of curiousity.   We were soon out to sea catching waves on our own, the crowd becoming a distant speck on the beach.  It felt so good to be back in the water after so many hours cooped up in a plane.  The ocean felt familiar and the act of catching waves – timeless.

That evening we joined the girls for a welcoming meal.  I learned that they were essentially taken in by Jafar as street kids, who offered them a place to call home and access to something that brought them joy in their lives. Surfing is completely free to them, so it is very accessible and provides them with a sense of community.  Mina (the second from the right) was the newest to the group. Her father died and her mother re-married.  Mistreated by her mother and stepfather, she left home and told them she would fend for herself.  She wandered the beach in Cox’s Bazar hoping a kind soul would give her food and take her in.  That’s when she met up with Nahida on the beach (to the left), who took her in.  She now stays with Nahida and Nahida’s mother in their house (which is no bigger than an 8x8 sized room).

We also TOTALLY lucked out with the world’s best translator -  an awesome woman named Hazera who is from Cox Bazar.  She was at the dinner and offered to help us navigate and translate through the various dialects of the girls’ languages. She also has some sophisticated frameworks in terms of looking at various ways to address social and economic issues in her country (she was educated in London and has experience working with a street kid project in Bangladesh).  So it's great to have her there as well.  

From our discussion, it was apparent to me that this particular microcosm of Bangladeshi society is so used to being supported with aid and given charity that they see the solutions to their problems in the form of support and thinking from the outside.  It's a crippling mindset to say the least.  This is especially perpetuated by the religious fundamentalism a region such as this attracts (funding from Saudi Arabia to build mosques, presence of the Christian evangelicals with their conversion agendas) and by the economic agendas of more developed nations looking to expand their markets (the Japanese are busy building roads here because where there are roads, there are cars - Japanese cars).  Bangladesh always seems to be in the position of receiving.    

Still, I remained curious about what potential solutions the girls could come up with themselves regarding their challenges. I know they are probably thinking since we're from the west, we'll be their savior and help them out.  It's such a fine line between helping your fellow neighbor out and adding to a systemic cycle of dependency and hand outs that has plagued developing nations around the world.   I have to keep reminding myself that our purpose for being here is really to bring their stories to the world, and through that, to inspire others to live in their possibility.  Given this social and economic landscape, it is remarkable what these girls are doing, and what they aspire to do and be. 

After a lovely evening with the girls, we were off the next day to do our first interviews and to meet someone very special who couldn’t be there for the dinner.  More on that to come.