San Marcos University presents the news of the day.

'Waves And Smiles' is a project in Limón that rescues children and teenagers at social risk and brings quality to new generations.

A project born from the efforts of a community eager to improve themselves and full of motivation to find a way to steer new generations away from wrong paths and give them a tool to be better people, is how "Wave and Smiles" was born.

A surf therapy program that was launched several months ago focused on rescuing children and teenagers at social risk through the "Wave for Change" guide.

This non-profit social aid organization from the Costa Rican Caribbean called “Wave And Smile” is participating in the #MyGivingStory contest, where it will try to get a pass to the next round through web voting, to then be one of the finalists and go in search of the final prize of $10,000 or the other prizes of $5,000 and $2,500.

Voting began on November 1st and will close on December 10th. The finalists for the next phase will be announced on December 17th. You can vote daily to support this national organization at: https://mygivingstory.givingtu esday.org/fbcontests/profileta b/MyGivingStory2019/3282561

We shared with Mike Castro, community leader in Cieneguita de Limón and member of the organization, and he gave us information about some of the results of the work done so far.

How has this whole stage of the project been?

"The project has given a lot of hope to the young people in the neighborhood. Their sense of belonging and self-confidence is very noticeable, and the changes in their behavior are surprising. We've had some very tough times where we've encountered real and vital needs, but we haven't stopped working all year. We have a lot of faith that we'll soon have the support we deserve because this is more than competitive surfing. Here, we don't win tournaments; we try to help the kids overcome life's challenges. All of this is thanks to 'Surf Therapy' and the care we give in every session."

How has the community responded to this initiative in the Caribbean, and how many children have participated?

" The community is doing great. In fact, other young people and children from other communities are coming because many people are spreading the word that there's something good in the neighborhood that's fun, positive, and inclusive: they teach surfing for free. Imagine this in another community—it's a blessing. We started with 15 children, and now we're working with 95 children and young people, besides the coaches, who are also teenagers—they were the first 15—and this has helped them incredibly."

What do you need for the project, and give us a message of support for the elections?

" The "Waves And Smiles" team and I have a very broad vision; there's what's ideal and what's real. What's real is what we need right now, and that's more Softoc, since we're serving all these children with 17 boards. Besides that, we only have one canopy. We need more leashes, wax, breakfasts, lunches, tights, hydration, fruit, and many other supplies that are vital to continue."

The message I want to leave them with is, first and foremost, a heartfelt thank you and God's blessings. I want to tell them that we must not let any social project in the country die for lack of support. This project goes far beyond competitive surfing; it's much more powerful than simply winning a heat. We are caring for the mental health of our children and young people. We have a safe space, a place where we can channel a lot of love to those who need it and identify deeper problems. The essence of the project is to create better people and help them believe in themselves. We can't do it alone, and we need the support of the entire wonderful surfing community.

Written by: Enrique Hernández
General Production: Marco Montero