WAVES for Development - Surf and Volunteer in Peru

David Aabo
Executive Director
New York, New York, USA
dave@wavesfordevelopment.org

David, a founder of WAVES for Development, has been providing his energy to making WAVES a reality since 2005. His love for adventure, curiosity of new cultures, and commitment to changing the world through social enterprises are contagious.

Since 2000 David Aabo has lived and worked in Africa, South America and the United States. He has spent more than four years in Peru developing small business and conservation initiatives that incorporate tourism in rural communities located in the mountains, coast and jungle of Peru. As a Peace Corps volunteer and coordinator, David researched, wrote and presented feasibility plans for “coffee tourism” and “adventure conservation” adventure-service tourism initiatives. He also analyzed and revised the Peace Corps' environmental project framework and reporting format and supported other volunteers through training. David worked with ProNaturaleza, the Peruvian Foundation for the Conservation of Nature, to support the development of community-base voluntourism programs in the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve, located in the Peruvian jungle.

David worked as the Adventure Conservation Program Coordinator for ProNaturaleza, supporting team members in Peru, promoted their programs in the US, and managed www.AdventureServiceTourism.com promoting programs in Peru and Ecuador. Additionally, he is a member of Xola Consulting, which provides business consulting services for the Adventure Travel Industry. David is currently serving as the Executive Director of WAVES for Development International.

David earned his Masters of Science in Organizational Management from the School for International Training, 2006. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Colorado State University, 2000.

Naomi Godden

Naomi Godden
Program Manager
naomi@wavesfordevelopment.org
Lobitos, Perú

Naomi contributes her enthusiasm and commitment to sustainable community development each day as the leader of WAVES programming team in Lobitos. She also shares her love for surfing with locals and volunteers alike.

Raised in Margaret River on the west coast of Australia, Naomi began surfing great waves at an early age. Her interest in people and cultures led her to study Australian Indigenous and social work in Melbourne. Naomi later gained experience working directly with communities as a Community Development Project Officer, Youth Worker, and Aboriginal Family Violence Prevention Worker. Naomi has also worked as a Divemaster in Honduras.

In Lobitos, Naomi oversees the Surf Voluntourism for visiting travelers and the Educational Surf program for local youth. She provides an orientation to all volunteers and supports them individually throughout their service to integrate into WAVES programming and develop their own personal community service project. Naomi works with the local team to consult and coordinate with the local community to assure WAVES programming best meets their needs. As a trained PADI Emergency First Response Instructor, Naomi offers first aid and CPR training and certification to local people and interested volunteers.

Naomi holds a Bachelor of Arts in Australian Indigenous Studies and Honors Degree of Bachelor of Social Work from Melbourne's Monash Univerity.

Holggers Clavijo Arambulo

Holggers Clavijo Arambulo
Surf Instructor
Program Coordinator
holggers@wavesfordevelopment.org
Lobitos, Perú

Originally from Negritos, a community south of Talara, Holggers joined the WAVES team in 2007. A certified surf instructor by Olas Peru, Holggers is the lead surf and swimming instructor in WAVES' Educational Surf Program.

Holggers plays an important role as Program Coordinator in Lobitos, making arrangements with local teachers, officials and community members. Drawing on his years of living in the area, Holggers is able to offer his local knowledge and contacts to the organization. Holggers welcomes volunteers to Lobitos, often meeting them at the bus station in Talara, assists in orientating them, and provides them with personal and job related support during their service.

Kevin Fitzpatrick

Kevin Fitzpatrick
Director of Operations
Lima, Peru
kevin@wavesfordevelopment.org

While spending over 3 years living and working in Peru, Kevin experienced the power of social business, learned of the value of service, and developed a passion for surfing. Now, as one of WAVES founders, he is excited to be combining all three to make the world a better place.

From 2003 to 2007, Kevin served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Peru, where he worked directly with communities, Fair Trade coffee associations, and non-profits in planning, implementing and evaluating community development projects. As the Program Coordinator for the Small Business Development Program, Kevin gained experience drafting, editing and reviewing program and project plans and facilitated workshops on Community Project Design and Management.

Kevin spent part of 2007 and 2008 working in Portland, OR as an account manager at Chris King Precision Components, a socially and environmentally conscious maker of high quality bicycle components. While in Portland Kevin worked as a contributing member to WAVES' Strategic Development and Public Relations teams while also designing and managing www.wavesfordevelopment.org.

Kevin is currently based out of Lima, Peru where he is a full-time MBA student at the Universidad Catolica and assists in the management of WAVES' operational, technological, and program development.

Kevin graduated with Honors from The University of Iowa in 2002 with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Economics, Minor in Spanish, and Certificates in International Business and Global Studies.

Brendan McDonald

Brendan McDonald
Director of Voluntourism
London, UK
brendan@wavesfordevelopment.org

Brendan has extensive experience in the service tourism and environmental management fields. He was the Sydney Regional Manager for Conservation Volunteers Australia for two years, after five years as a Project Supervisor. These positions required the development, management and implementation of practical conservation and environmental education projects throughout Australia, including the health and safety management, and the development of corporate partnerships. More recently, for 18 months, he was the Expedition Manager for the Amazon Wildlife Research and Community Development Expedition in Ecuador, for Global Vision International. He has also worked for Deepend London and Deepend Sydney in video and documentary production.

Brendan received a BA in Geography and Communications from the University of Wollongong in Australia. His studies include Documentary Cinematography from the Australian Film television and Radio School. He is also a certified PADI Emergency First Response First Aid Instructor.

Dani Amico

Daniela Amico
Board Member, WAVES Peru
Lima, Perú
dani@wavesfordevelopment.org

Born in Lima but raised in Madrid, Dani has always been attracted to the ocean. After having lived over 500 km away from the ocean for 11 years, moving back to Lima finally allowed Dani to realized one of her childhood dreams: learning how to surf. Now able to practice the sport on a constant basis, surfing is one of her biggest passions.

Having studied Social Anthropology and Development Studies in the University of Sussex, UK, Dani returned to her homeland in the hope of putting in practice what she learned during her studies, while getting to know the Peruvian reality, continuing to learn and experiencing new challenges. For two years she worked for a Peruvian environmental conservation NGO, shaping socially and environmentally sustainable projects, assisting technically in others, and contributing to the organization’s fundraising efforts. She has also worked for a Peruvian non-profit organization that promotes social responsibility and corporative volunteering among large and small businesses in Peru. Dani currently works in strategic development for a public relations firm in Lima.

WAVES for Development combines perfectly Dani’s passion of the sport with her will to help others fend for a better future. She is co-founder and legal representative of WAVES for Development Peru, coordinating and establishing new alliances and relationships with other local organizations.

Jim Clark

Jim Clark
Board Member, WAVES Int.
Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
jim@wavesfordevelopment.org

Jim has enjoyed doing volunteer work for a variety of non-profit organizations including the Americorps VISTA program, a local Small Business Development Center, a local Food Co-operative, many youth-oriented sports programs and, of course, WAVES for Development.

Jim's professional background is in business and consulting. After working in industry for several years he began his own company in 2001 (Tarsier Business Consulting) and taught business at the local community college.

Jim holds a B.S. degree in Engineering from the University of Illinois and an MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management. Jim has received training and certification as a lifeguard and as a Wilderness First Responder. He looks forward to learning to surf and improving his Spanish-speaking skills while contributing to WAVES for Development. Jim is a member of WAVES' Strategic Planning team.

Sylvain Gaeng

Sylvain Gaeng
President, WAVES Switzerland
Montreux, Vaud, Switzerland
Sylvain@wavesfordevelopment.org

Though there are no waves for surfing in Switzerland, Sylvain lives by his soul surfing philosophy: “A sound mind in a sound body.”

After traveling in 43 countries and meeting thousands of people, Sylvain came to an important conclusion: helping others can give his life meaning. Sylvain calculates that if he can help even just 10 people improve their lives, the positive effects will touch thousands of people in centuries to come and make the world a better place.

Sylvain has an extensive background in Finance and Marketing in both international and local companies. He is currently the President of WAVES for Development Switzerland.

Sylvain holds a BA in Economics from the University of Applied Sciences of Lausanne, Switzerland . He is fluent in French, Spanish and English.

Christian Prendergast

Christian Prendergast
Board Member, WAVES Int.
South Korea
christian@wavesfordevelopment.org

Sincerely believing in the potential for a kinder, more balanced world, Christian helped to brainstorm and network WAVES for Development and the various ways it could help to bring about economic stability and personal empowerment to people in need.

Christian is a certified teacher in the state of Pennsylvania. Christian spent 2006 in Talara, Peru, working as an English teacher. He worked with students ages 10-65, teaching classes at all levels from basic to advanced. During this time Christian gain a wealth of experience planning, instructing, and evaluating. This experience convinced him of the value of creating a comfortable learning environment and using content that students can relate to in order to facilitate acquisition.

Christian graduated from Eastern University in 2005 with BAs in English Writing and Secondary Education, as well as, a minor in TESL. He served for three years on his campus chapter of Habitat for Humanity, including one year as the fundraising chairperson. Christian was also a four-year member of the school’s Leadership Program. Christian currently teaches English in South Korea.

Team