Surfing Through the Odds - Soma Surf Collection

Until 2021, if one were to search for images of black girls surfing on major commercial image archives, they would find an unbelievable lack of representation: among the millions of available images, there were hardly any images of young black female surfers.

To address this incredible inclusion gap, Betclic, in partnership with Shutterstock Studios, decided to launch "Surfing Through the Odds," the first collection of images of black girls surfing available in a major commercial image bank.

The collection was produced with assistance from Soma Surf, the NGO that is changing the lives of hundreds of girls in São Tomé (Africa) through surf therapy.

The Soma Surf Project was founded by Francisca Sequeira in São Tomé and Príncipe, one of the poorest countries in the world, where just over 30% of girls complete secondary education. Since 2020, Soma has been championing female empowerment through surfing, having assisted more than 90 girls thus far, and fostering a new generation of independent young women, which includes 13-year-old Maura, São Tomé's first female surfing champion.

The collection, comprised of 33 videos and over 100 photos - all produced with Soma students - has been available on Shutterstock since last year and has already attracted buyers from over 35 countries. Part of the funds raised from the sale of the images goes to finance Soma’s work.

As part of the 'Surfing Through the Odds' initiative, a documentary was produced that tells the story of Soma and the daily lives of female surfers from São Tomé. With an international production team including professionals from Brazil, Portugal, England, and the United States, the documentary was directed by South African Ana-Filipa Domingues and has been screened at events and film festivals worldwide, including the prestigious Sundance Film Festival.