Kadiatu “KK” Kamara

In the village where she grew up, Kadiatu Kamara would watch the boys head off to surf. She wanted to get into the water with a board too. Nicknamed KK, she joined the Bureh Beach Surf Club despite mockery from some surfers and reluctance from those around her.

She learns from other club members, who eventually recognise her commitment. By 2018, she is already expressing a wish that her presence might encourage other women to join.

By June 2024, KK divides her time between surf lessons and waitressing. She wants to open a school and a shop whose profits would help pay for equipment and girls’ schooling.

In June 2024, limited resources had already forced her to scale back the sessions. Opening a school was still an ambition. For a beginner, knowing there will be a board available next time matters too. KK’s project addresses that need for continuity: equipment and resources that would let her support the girls over time.

Daniel Ali and Louis Leeson come to Bureh Beach to make a film about surfing. Meeting KK changes their project: they decide to centre the documentary on her. A Million Waves makes room for her voice, her days and her own relationship with the waves.