Charity profile

Sentinel Ocean Alliance creates ocean-based opportunities and provides environmental education for the youth of South Africa’s coastal communities. 

OUR MISSION

Sentinel Ocean Alliance provides a safe space to create and implement multi-faceted youth development programmes and initiatives, that address real challenges facing the youth of previously disadvantaged coastal communities, by supporting and enabling future responsible leaders who will make meaningful contributions to South African society.

We aim to do this through:

1. SKILLS-DEVELOPMENT: Reducing school drop-out rates and youth unemployment by providing work opportunities and teaching employable ocean-based skills through lifesaving, surfing, swim coaching programmes, ocean knowledge and environmental education.  

2. CITIZENSHIP: Increasing the capacity and ocean-awareness of the youth within coastal communities and enabling active environmental citizenship, so that young people can bring change to, and become environmental champions within their communities.

3. MENTORSHIP: Offering general life guidance through training and providing access to ocean-based opportunities, thereby empowering young people to become mentors and role models among their peer groups and inspiring others to do the same.

4. EDUCATION: Promoting and teaching ocean and environmental knowledge to youth from low-income coastal communities and cultivating a love and respect for the ocean and its creatures.