Hi,

My name is Tânia Laje, i am naturally from the island of São Miguel on the Archipelago of the Azores.

I lived away for 22 years, from 1999 to 2018 in different places from New England to Cabo Verde, Canary Islands, and Mainland Portugal.

During these years i worked on different areas, from Marketing & Publicity to Tourism and surf coaching until I decided to come back to São Miguel to open my own surfing business.

The surf school business was totally ready and opened on October 2019 on the Island of São Miguel with the help of a loan from the bank as a micro credit.

In 2020 covid19 ruined a bit my hopes and dreams, but i kept going, until 2021 I was diagnosed with a endometriosis that had to remove my right ovaries due to the huge size of the tumor.

I kept with the surf school opened and had 1 surf coach working for me.

Recoverd from that and kept working, doing my best to keep my surf school opened.

Later in October 2022, I got diagnosed with breast cancer on my right breast.

That was horrible!

I had to sell my surf school van, and all the surf equipment I had, and file for bankruptcy, to be able to maintain myself and my daughter during the year of 2023 without any income, besides a miserable 135€ i got monthly from the State, for 10 months.

Now, it's been exactly 1 year since I got the tumor removed, and I still can't find a job with the experience I have in Tourism.

I can't teach surfing anymore, as I have 60% incapacity on my right arm, from the removal of lymphnodes during surgery.

I am 47 years old, and I am trying to find a solution for my financial life, and thus us the idea I came out with.

Have a mobile surf & beach shop where I can rent out surfboards & wetsuits, sell beach items, like hats, towels, ponchos, surfing key chains, and so on.

But, as I filed for bankruptcy, i cannot ask for a bank loan, at least for the next 2 years more, but I am also having trouble to find a job.

This is why I came with this idea, because we do need beach shops near the beaches during summer months, as there are none on the island right now.

A Pop up truck with beach items, and surfing equipment, where every tourist and locals can purchase some beach items and rent surfing equipment.

I will also try to have as much as i can, available local product's from local producers.

I still have the logo of my surf school, that I can use for the decoration of the pop up truck with the beautiful name RIDE WITH THE WAVE.

This business would florish I'm sure, because it would be the first one on the island, and we have the north beaches with waves and full of tourists in the summer, from May to October.

And from November to April the south beaches full of Surfers.

I would really appreciate all the good people that can send donations to help me fulfill thus dream, and in return of my appreciation, every person that donates, can have 2 days of free rental surf equipment, or a free beach towel or hat.

I would be eternally greatfull to everyone that donates to this project and comes visit us when we are opened.

Please share to all of your friends and community l, even if you can't donate.

There is always someone maybe that can.

Thank you so much for helping me make thus dream come true, and to be able to support my daughter in her studies.

Greatful for your kindness and support 🙏🏽🫶🏽