Surfcare Staff

 

Ryan Kuja

In Swahili, “kuja” means “come”. That is what Ryan began doing in 2003- “coming” to Africa and entering into her pain and beauty and hope. Ryan received a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Vermont and a post-graduate diploma in Humanitarian Assistance from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine in the UK. Heeding the call to adventure while sharing with others the radical love he has received - that is a summary of the life Ryan aspires to. He has lived in southern and east Africa as a student, volunteer, aid worker, and wandering surfer. Ryan has implemented a variety of aid and development projects in Sudan, Kenya, South Africa, Mozambique, India and the British West Indies. He has a passion for all things linguistic, including writing and poetry.

 

Ryan’s calling in life is to be a person who demonstrates, to himself and others, that love is greater than poverty, brokenness, fear, shame. That love is stronger than death.

 

 

Katie Kuja

 

A boring life is one that Katie has never chosen to live. From athletic pursuits throughout high school and college, to working as an Occupational Therapist with those who have brain and spinal cord injuries, to trips to Central and South America, Katie has a love for anything exciting and stimulating. Her greatest joy is simply bringing a smile to someone’s face.