Bali Boardriders was inspired by Tommy. Tommy was raised in Munti Gunnung, one of the poorest areas in Bali. His family had no access to health care, clean water or good food and could not afford to send Tommy to school. Tommy was born into a life of hardship with few opportunities to change his situation. Of ten children born into Tommy’s family, only five survived to adulthood due to the harsh conditions in which they lived.

When Tommy was eight years old he moved to Kuta, a major tourist town. He started work washing motorbikes, then saved enough money to buy himself a small esky and started walking the beach every day selling drinks. By the time he was ten, Tommy had learnt to surf on boards borrowed from tourists and over the next few years he became one of the better junior surfers in Bali. His skills attracted the attention of some local sponsors and this is where Tommy’s life changed. Sponsorship and community support connected Tommy to better employment opportunities and finally got him off the streets, affording him accommodation, healthy food, greater community respect and above all, self-respect. Today Tommy is happily married with two children. Without the kindness and generousity of his sponsors he would undoubtably still be living off the streets hawking to tourists and eking out a desperate living.

There are many children in Bali who still grow up lacking the basic necessities of life. Bali Boardriders has been established with the aim to repeat Tommy’s success story, hopefully many times over for other young people in need. To provide the next generation with resources, community support and self-worth and establish a path for them away from the streets and into healthy, productive lives. Bali Boardriders has already started two projects:

1. Sponsorship of a young surfer Made Sammy, a hot young natural footer from Karangasem.
2. Fundraising to purchase school uniforms because the government only supplies half the education budget. With public and corporate support, we hope to extend these projects and potentially to start new initiatives to further help young people in Bali.
3. Providing funds for urgent dental treatment for a young boy named Wayan Gumbring.