Ako Matsuzaki’s Thank You Letter


To Suave Dulce,

I just wanted to quickly pop in say a huge – and I mean HUGE thank you for a making my first trip to Nicaragua a trip I will never forget. What a treat it was to be able to wake up to the sound of the waves, not to mention the natural alarm clock of the birds outside. The past two days, I have opened my eyes to only see concrete walls of my apartment and to the sound of cars. Yes, hot showers and flushing toilets are nice (though I’ve found myself hesitating to flush – ha) but for a lack of better word, being back home has royally SUCKED ASS.

Even though I’m still just a beginner, surfing has taught me so much about life in general; every wave is different and so I need to be flexible and adjust accordingly. The harder I fight things, sometimes the more difficult it gets – and even if I fall, all I need to do is just get right back up on my board because there is always another wave waiting for me. I may get tumbled under water and have no idea what’s happening, but if I just stop and take a moment to surrender, eventually – and naturally, I will find my way up and it’s all going to be okay.

What made this trip even more memorable was to be able to see all the “GOOD” that el Coco Loco and Waves of Hope are doing for the local community. I have walked away from this trip not only feeling touched – but truly inspired by the amazing work and love they are giving back and hope that one day, when I get my “big girl job” back, that I will be able to due my part in making a difference, even if it is to help one little boy or girl at a time. With that said, I will do my best to spread the word about Waves of Hope to my friends and family as well as your camp – but will also be sure to be slightly selective so I don’t crowd the secret and perfect surf spot you have found on the map 🙂

Thank you again for allowing me to have an amazing opportunity to see the world and learn through surfing – and being an awesome & inspiring woman, Holly! I hope this week will be just as much fun as last week and please tell everyone I said hello and I miss them already!

With love, dreams and hopes of making a difference,
Ako

Scholars for Surfing with Waves of Hope

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3wOKFL0zLk]
Waves of Hope is a community-focused non-profit working to improve the lives of the people of Northern Nicaragua. After noticing that very few kids were attending school regularly they came up with a program to reward attendance. If a kid went to school every day of the week, on saturday he or she could go surfing! School attendance has improved dramatically!

Suave Dulce Gives Back with Waves of Hope

Nicaragua is the second poorest nation in Latin America but while the people are poor they are very friendly. While driving by, kids smile and wave. A little help goes a long way. Suave Dulce has partnered with Waves of Hope, the non-profit arm of El Coco Loco to give retreat guests a chance to interact with the local community and give back in a meaningful way.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNud3U_s7iQ]

Circle of Empowerment

Meg “Margarita” Boren is an inspiring woman. She first came to Nicaragua in 1999 as a volunteer nurse working with a local doctor to provide care to remote villages without access to electricity or potable water. She fell in love with the people and decided she had to stay.

Living in a tent for 8 months while a house was being built she founded Circle of Empowerment , a grass roots project focusing on the development of resources that help the people help themselves in the areas of health, education, and economic development.

Meg "Margarita" Boren, the force behind Circle of Empowerment

Working with donations, other NGOs, and public programs within Nicaragua, she has opened a health clinic, provided a school bus, and created a high school program and library in a community that previously had none of those things.

Margarita, giving a tour of the clinic and explaining her program to a group of Suave Dulce guests.

Margarita’s programs focus heavily on education and developing leadership from within the local communities to assure community buy-in and program sustainability.

Giving donations for the local kids to Margarita.

During each retreat we will visit Margarita’s clinic to hear her story and be inspired by her energy.

A few of the local kids that benefit from Margarita's clinic

To learn more or donate to Circle of Empowerment, click here or email [email protected] for more information.

Jamming with Kids in Jiquilillo

Over the last few years a non-profit crew has been working hard to create a community center to benefit the people of the Northern Nicaraguan town of Jiquilillo.

This time around the group donated musical instruments, jammed out with the kids, help release recently hatched sea turtles, put the finishing touches on the community center, learned to surf, did yoga, and made some amazing new friends.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOz3D5u_zs0]