Hello all!  Heather "aka quesos" reporting from our headquarters in Hacienda Iguana.  A few months ago I spent the morning down in Gigante with friend and program director Bo Fox of Project Wave of Optimism (WOO).  Bo shared with me some past, present and future projects that have and will tremendously change the lives of the locals living in the village of Gigante. One project that really caught my attention was the "Woo Bus", which transports 35 highschool students daily to a school located more than 10 miles away (there is not other closer highschool!).  I was also impressed with the after school program and the newest project- a community health center.

I was really amazed with the impact this project has made on the 386 person community of Gigante. I have been meaning to bring attention to this program for awhile now, but between helping run the business, being a wife, mom of 2 and trying to squeeze in some surf..... things always take longer than expected.  Today Roberto "Lucha Libre" and I carved out some time to get some photos and info up on the site.

So what is WOO?  In Bo's words, "Project Wave of Optimism (WOO) is a leader in forging partnerships with emerging Latin American surf tourism destinations. WOO delivers collaborative programs to improve the village’s quality of life and engage locals in the decision-making and management of their community’s development. As such, the community members acquire the confidence, knowledge and tools to meet future needs.

In our six year of operation, Project WOO has developed a coherent plan with a proven track record in helping communities understand their needs and implement sustainable solutions. Project WOO is not an aid organization: WOO empowers locals to take control of their own destiny to develop better communities.

Project WOO is improving surfing’s global footprint, one village at a time."

Please find out more about WOO’s current community health center project, volunteer opportunities, and how you can be a part of the solution, here: www.projectwoo.org.