Good Days Family Surf Camp uses surfing to treat and support Ukrainian children fleeing the scourge of war.
Like many others, Kisesia Tashanskaya’s life changed completely when Russia began its attacks on Ukraine. More than 12 million people have been forced from their homes since the war began. But after she ran away, she wanted help. So I started a free surf camp in Portugal, trying to share my ocean therapy with as many displaced Ukrainian families as possible.
Over the past five years, Kshisya has been an integral part of the Ukrainian surfing community, organizing international surf trips for families together with Vasiliy Kordysh, President of the Ukrainian Surfing Federation. The goal was to get more Ukrainians to surf, and surf trips to locations with warmer, milder climates and quiet breaks offer easy surfing entry compared to the cooler temperatures and harsher surfing conditions from the winds that swell in the Black Sea.
Then in 2021, Kshisya started Good Days Family Surf Camp in Balial, Portugal. The sandy island village has been a destination for surfing tourism for more than 20 years, featuring beginner-friendly breaks like Lagide’s reef break as well as miles of open beach break providing plenty of space for novice surfers to practice their part.
“It was incredible because I saw the positive effects of surfing and being in nature on both the kids and adults in our camp,” Kechia told FanSided. “The kids arrived with their kits on the first day and taped their screens. But once the surf camp program started, they forgot their screens and embraced surfing entirely.”
Photo Source: Camp Good Days Family Surf Camp
“Nowadays, kids are inseparable from technology. But you cannot bring your devices with you in the water. When you surf, you can forget the past for a moment and be in the present moment. You can also meet like-minded people and build relationships with those around you.”
With the start of 2022, Kechia has set her sights on organizing more surf camps in Portugal for Ukrainian families. But all that changed at 4:30 a.m. on February 24, 2022. In her family’s apartment in central Kyiv, Kesheya woke up to the sound of her windows shaking. The first Russian missile landed near her home, signaling the beginning of a war that would uproot her family’s life.
“This was probably the worst time of my life,” Kechichia said. “We watched the missiles fall from the sky, and soon realized we were not safe in our house. We woke up our two children, took two bags of clothes and drove for 25 hours until we finally got to the west of the country.”
Realizing that the situation was escalating further, Kechia, her daughter Evdokia, 7, and her son Korne, 11, traveled for five days across mainland Europe to Portugal, while her husband remained in Ukraine to help defend their country.
“When we got to Balial, we had nothing,” Kechichia said. “But I asked my children to go and jump in the ocean. The children arrived feeling devastated by the war, but after surfing, the water lifted their spirits.”
Photo Source: Camp Good Days Family Surf Camp
“My husband was helping to defend our house, and I couldn’t sit back in Portugal and wait for the war to end, I knew I needed help however I could. So, I decided to organize free surf camps for families, for anyone fleeing who might feel afraid to come and be healed by spending time in Ocean “.
Having spent the past five seasons organizing surf camps, Kechia was already familiar with the area. So she started a charity, and posted a video online describing her plans to help people through the power of surfing. Devastated by what they saw in the news, many people took to social media, saw her video, and felt compelled to help, which led to donations from people around the world who wanted to help support her efforts. Thanks to these donations, Kesheya was able to organize the first free surf camp for Ukrainian refugee families.
“I know what it feels like to lose everything from the war, because it happened to my family, too,” Kishia says. I just wanted to help families who fled Ukraine find their community. To make friends in the squad and connect with nature. We all lost something. But we are still here, and surfing in the ocean can help us regain strength to continue moving forward.”
The first seven-day surf camp welcomed 16 Ukrainian kids and their parents, with accommodations, daily meals, full surf trails, beach cleanings, art lessons and a visit from a local surf expert. For a few brief hours each day, these families had the opportunity to step away from their thoughts about what had been taken from them and escape in the happy moments of surfing and riding along the Portuguese coast.
“When the children arrived on the first day, it was difficult,” says Kechichia. “These kids had escaped from the war, suffered heavy things, and I wasn’t sure if we would be able to help them. But after the first day of surfing, they started to smile. It was like a heavy weight had been lifted. They separated themselves from their phones and the news of the war Instead, we filled their days with surfing, creating art, cleaning beaches, and learning to care for the ocean. We diverted their attention, and surfing helped them feel happy again.”
After the first successful camp, Keshia organized more surf camps so that more Ukrainian refugee children could benefit. Billabong Europe knew what she was doing and offered to collaborate. Together, they organized a world surfing day for more than 40 Ukrainian families. Billabong even invited Championship Tour alumni and Olympic surfer Frederico Moraes to help teach kids how to surf. Keshia continues to organize more surf camps for Ukrainian refugees.
“Thanks to posting about surf camp on social media, I have found a lot of support in the surfing community. So many people have opened their hearts to our people and donated to help us. It really means everything.”
Photo Source: Camp Good Days Family Surf Camp
Through the generous help of people around the world who donated to support Good Days Surf Camp, Kshisya has created a safe haven for Ukrainian families to speak their mother tongue, communicate with each other and heal from the trauma of war. Meanwhile, back in Ukraine, the situation remains volatile.
Many people live at home a new reality, where sirens and bombs are part of everyday life. Missiles continue to target populated areas of Ukraine, and many civilians are still dying from this war. When you know what’s going on there, it’s hard to live with it.”
Like her husband defending his homeland within its borders, Kechichea dedicated herself to helping however she could from 2,500 miles away. She plans to continue helping refugee families for as long as possible.
“I received hundreds of requests from Ukrainian refugees to attend our surf camps. So the more support we receive, the more people we can help. I believe nature is a powerful healer, and when you do good things, good things come back to you. Two Ukrainian friends helped me organize surf camps The waves, and we’ve seen how the fun of surfing can briefly help someone forget what’s going on at home. We all need good days.”
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If you would like more information about Good Days Surf Camp, Please visit their website.
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