April 2024

We met with Coach Amina and Mike, which was super productive, as Mike has much needed lifeguarding expertise, and we're very lucky to have him, as he has set up many lifeguarding programs around Africa. We agreed on a plan for operations on Coco beach, which will include:

• American style setup with 7 lifeguards stations spread out across the beach

• Each station will have 2 lifeguards covering that zone, with a radio and paddleboard

• Lifeguard towers will be sourced locally out of recycled plastic, as it is heavy and has no resale value, so we can leave it safely overnight

• There will be a supervisor stationed at a portable gazebo

• A local hotel agreed to let us store a lockable container to keep all our gear

• There are people 24/7 at Coco beach, and they are friendly with our guards and very supportive of our project, so we don't anticipate any issues

• Mike has some sources in South Africa for all the equipment that can all be customized with our logo, and it should arrive within a month or two. So far the guards have been operating without any of the required equipment, and it's amazing how much impact they've already had anyway, including rescuing 9 people from a capsized boat.

• Mike is also helping to put together an operating manual for the supervisor and a daily log sheet that will help us track every time we make a rescue

An interview with Mike will be coming soon. Thank you Risha for all the help translating.