A group of boys holding surfboards dash into the sea, smiling and laughing as golden light beams down on their wet skin. Here, in the water, they have found reprieve from the chaotic, cramped, colorful streets of Rocinha, Rio de Janeiro’s largest favela, a low-income urban neighborhood in Brazil.

Residents in Rocinha are plagued by violence and crime—children play in the same tight alleyways where drug traffickers work. One avenue away from the conflict: the ocean. The Surf Association of Rocinha (ASR), a local surf community and group of instructors, work to pull kids away from the dangers of the city and into the water, every day of the week.

Unfortunately, the community also struggles with widespread pollution and insufficient sanitation. The