Mission

Yemaya Surf’s mission is to provide Dominican women and girls with a safe space and access to surf therapy, empowerment, and climate justice. We are reintroducing the ocean as a space of joy, freedom, and belonging.

Vision

Our vision is a Dominican Republic where women and girls are leaders in ocean sports, environmental stewardship, and local conversations that shape the holistic health of their communities—from the land and sea to the well-being of the people.

Target Population or Community Served

Yemaya Surf works with Dominican women and girls (ages 10–34) who live in Cabarete's low-income communities.

Core Programs

Yemaya Surf’s current core programs include:

• Surf Therapy & Lessons: Free surfing lessons & classes every Saturday for women and girls from marginalized Dominican communities. Our participants receive surfing instruction from experienced local surfers, emphasizing the connection between riding the waves, our emotional wellbeing, and respecting the ocean. We ensure to remove barriers that exist for locals to access the ocean by providing transportation, childcare, and post-surf snack.

• Ridge to Reef (R2R) Climate Justice Projects & Education: We host climate justice workshops that trace the connections between mountain forests, rivers, and coral reefs—offering an ecosystem-wide view of environmental health and community well-being. Our most recent project has been focused on planting mangrove seedlings in the Lagunas de Cabarete y Goleta. This lagoon is the backyard of all the women and girls in Yemaya, and it is in urgent need of mangrove forest restoration. Mangroves stabilize the Dominican Republic’s coastline, prevent erosion, and protect against storm surges.

Along with our Core Programs, our planned & upcoming programs & events for 2026 include:

• Earth Day (April 22) Event: Yemaya Surf will host an Earth Day Sancocho & Surf, an event celebrating & raising awareness about the environmental challenges facing the Dominican Republic, while fundraising for our free surf & climate programs for local Dominican women & girls

• Mother’s Day Retreat: We will convene a Mother’s Day Surf & Climate Retreat in Cabarete that will be a transformative weekend for 10 local women and girls to reclaim joy, ocean access, and environmental leadership.

• Summer Camp in August:  We will host “Waves of Change,” a weeklong youth program and Summer camp for Dominican girls ages 10-17 that focuses on climate justice, intergenerational collective power, and surf therapy in Cabarete, Dominican Republic. 

Through these programs, we’re building a new generation of Dominican women and girls who see themselves as ocean protectors, climate leaders, and cultural stewards.