In 1999, Dr. Dave Jenkins visited the Mentawai Islands off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia onboard a surf charter. He had one goal in mind: to find perfect waves. What he also found were Mentawai people suffering and dying from the ravages of malaria and other preventable diseases. Troubled by the inequity of lifestyles and moved by compassion, Dr. Dave established SurfAid International, a non-profit organization dedicated to the alleviation of human suffering through community-based health programs.

With the support of the New Zealand and Australian governments, the global surfing community and most importantly the people of the affected areas themselves, continued ...