Here is a photo of our lovely ambassadors, Tennille and Alexi wearing Quiksilver Womens! We were so stoked to see them in the office rocking Quiksilver Womens and pleased to hear about their future projects, you guys will be seeing a lot more of them soon.

In 2005, Tennille and Alexi formed E P I C, Everyday People Initiating Change, a non profit organization whereby they build sustainable water systems in Africa. Through their partnership with Quiksilver, they have raised enough money to complete six water wells in Africa.

Thank you, Tennille and Alexi for embodying the spirit of the Quiksilver brand as well as you do, you inspire and empower us to do the same!  We wish them luck in all of their upcoming endeavors!

To find out more information about E.P.I.C, Everday People Initiating Change click here!

To shop Tennille’s capitan flannel shirt, click here.

Last summer was action packed!  My friend/business partner, Alexi Panos, and I headed back to Tanzania, Africa, where we drill clean water wells with our organization, E.P.I.C. (Everyday People Initiating Change).  We have drilled six wells so far, with the help of Quiksilver, who donates 3% of the T-shirt sales from their Women’s line.

1.1 billion people in the world still do not have access to safe, clean drinking water, and alarmingly, more people die each year from unsafe water than from all forms of violence, including war.  When Alexi and I first discovered that, we felt compelled to try to make a difference in these villages.

We have walked with the women to their sources of water before, and have carried buckets of water on our heads for distances of up to 3.4 miles. The agony of such a task is impossible to describe, but heartbreaking to know that these women and children, (who are responsible for providing the water for their families), have to make this walk sometimes 3 to 4 times a day. The water they collect is often polluted, certainly unclean, and since it is collected early in the morning or late at night down narrow paths, the women and children (some as young as 4 years old) are at higher risk for sexual violence.

After spending time in each of our villages, and carrying out hygiene and sanitation education programs in the villages where we had already drilled clean water wells, Alexi and I decided to climb Mount Kilimanjaro.  We have been to Tanzania five times already, and had always wanted to attempt the climb, but never had the time.  A few of our friends came out to volunteer with us last summer though, and they were keen to experience it as well, so we decided it was time we made it happen!

Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa, and the highest freestanding mountain in the world, at 19,341 feet above sea level.  Climbing it was definitely one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life (next to carrying a 10 liter bucket of water on my head for 3.4 miles).  After hiking for 3 days, we stopped at the last rest spot, and slept for a few hours before waking up at midnight to begin the final part of the climb.  I am at my worst when I am cold or tired, and the combination is almost deadly, so waking up to begin hiking at midnight in those high altitudes, and freezing cold weather was definitely not an exciting task for me.  We were all wearing as many layers as we possibly could, and thought we would be prepared for the temperature, but since there was no sun shining to provide us with any warmth at all, it didn’t take long before we were all frozen!

When I stopped being able to feel my feet, I really started to get uncomfortable.  Because of the altitude, you also experience a shortage of breath, headaches, dizziness, and an overall feeling of confusion.  I remember trying to sing every encouraging song I could think of in my head to give me the strength to keep going on, but I eventually told Alexi that I didn’t think I could make it, and encouraged her and the rest of our team to go on without me.

One of the guides stayed back with me, and told me that if I wanted to go back down that he would take me there, but I was determined to make it to the top.  I refused to come so far without finishing, but didn’t know how I would possibly make my body keep going when I felt as awful as I did.  Every single step felt like a struggle.  I was crying, angry, and so frustrated that the sun was taking so long to come up.

At around 6am, it began to show itself, and I felt hope again for the first time!  There was still quite a distance to go, but the sun at least added a different light to it all.

After what felt like the longest 30 minutes or so of my life, I heard people shouting my name, and looked up to see Alexi and the rest of our group sitting on some rocks above me in a clearing that I assumed to be the peak of the mountain.  My spirit was re-energized, although my body was still extremely weak, but I finally made my way to them, and we all celebrated our success!

The celebration was short-lived though, because our guides quickly informed us that the summit was actually another 2 hours or so away!  We were told that only about 30% of the people who climb Kilimanjaro make it to the actual top of the mountain, because many of them choose to end their journey at that point.  I was so exhausted and miserable that I really didn’t know whether I could continue hiking for 2 more hours, but after being re-united with the group, and with some persuasion, we all decided to keep going.

The top of the mountain is awe-inspiring, and so beautiful because it is still covered in snow, so to experience that was exciting, because apparently in about 20 years or so, all of the snow will have melted due to global warming.  I’m glad we decided to continue on, because it really felt like we were on top of the world up there, and watching the sunrise from that height was an unbelievable sight as well.

We all made it to the summit, and were so proud of ourselves for managing to go the full distance.  Coming down was a lot faster, and we actually made it down in one day, because one of our guides was unable to finish the climb due to altitude sickness, so we had to get him back down the mountain as soon as we could, but we were all happy to get back quickly anyway.

After we made it back down, we all agreed that while it was a life-changing experience, there was no way any of us would ever want to do it again!  Only a few months later though, Alexi and I decided that we should do it again this summer, but this time do it to raise more funds for the wells we are drilling, since the climb is symbolic of the long distances walked by the women and children to collect water for their families.  We are hoping to raise at least enough money for one more water well, but obviously the more we can raise, the better!

When I left Tanzania, I stopped off in London.  I am a singer as well, and am currently working on my debut album, but a good friend of mine is a very successful pop star in the UK called Pixie Lott.  Some people had been in touch with me, asking to put on a fundraising event for E.P.I.C. in London, and they asked if there was any way I would be able to come out there to perform.  I said that I could come after our trip to Tanzania, and managed to get Pixie to agree to get involved as well, so we, (along with a few other acts), put on a concert for about 500 people, and raised about $7,500 forE.P.I.C.

t was such an enjoyable show, and the perfect way to end an action filled summer!  After all of our hard work in Tanzania with the drilling, and then the excruciating journey to the top of Kilimanjaro, it was nice to finally be able to unwind, and do what I love to do most, which was perform to a crowd of really great people.  It was an added bonus that Pixie got involved as well, and such a great treat to be able to perform with her, after being friends and supporting one another for so many years.

It felt amazing to raise so much money for E.P.I.C. too, as essentially, that is what Alexi and I always try to do.  Our water project for E.P.I.C. is called the ‘Ripple Project’, because water ripples out and affects every other aspect of community life.  For Alexi and I, E.P.I.C. is that drop of water in our lives, and everything else that we do is a ripple that is always connected to the main source, which is our work with E.P.I.C.

Last summer was an amazing journey, and rewarding in so many ways!  I look forward to an equally exciting summer this year!

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Through our travels Alexi and I got to see firsthand how very important even the smallest of things can be for a village.  We visited three villages this past summer, all in which were relatively close to each other but not considered to be walking distance. This makes it very hard for the villages to communicate and share water. These villages are also very far away from the main town; they are so rural, and do not have access to any shops, markets, hospitals, or other necessities.

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In one of the villages where they have a small primary school, the government has provided a borehole well to help with their water problem. This well is efficient to them, but still too far away for the other villages, who are in dire need of water, to access. For example in one of the nearer villages where they are building a secondary school, the people wait in a line to collect their water from a small hand-dug well. This process is neither safe nor provides the people with clean water.  While out there, this really hit Alexi and I.

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After talking to the local people in all these villages about their problems and facing these problems with them first hand to experience what they deal with in their daily lives, it became apparent to us that what these people needed were bikes. In hearing some of their stories and knowing how hard transportation is for them, it became clear that with the help of bikes these people would be able to access other nearby villages, and bike into town to buy much needed supplies. Before having bikes, these people were unable to get to the hospital if someone was sick, or provide the right doctor for a pregnant woman having her baby. As you can see a lack of transportation caused a lot of restraints for these people and with this, Alexi and I decided it would be best for us to provide them with this necessity. By giving these people what they desperately needed, the bikes, we would show them that we had begun our commitment to sharing in their needs. We also decided that we would drill bore-holes (hopefully this year) for the two villages that did not have clean water.

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The excitement amongst the local people after we brought them the bikes was so inspiring that it definitely gave us the encouragement to keep moving forward. It also showed us, again, that it truly is the little things that count in creating a bigger whole. This small gift would help the villages with many obstacles. We now know that in getting to know these people better, and by understanding their individual problems on a personal level, we are better able to help with their needs.  With our help, the healthy growth of each community will soon follow.

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This idea of “a little going a long way” was reinforced by our newly found friend, Peter Allen Luis. Peter, we found out, had left his life in the States to live full-time to help run a secondary school for the Masai school in a small village in Arusha (near the top of Tanzania). What Peter has been able to accomplish in this community is truly inspiring; he understands fully the importance of a slow, steady growth, and recognizes that by keeping your focus small, you are able to produce huge and highly effective change.  After meeting the children at his school, it is impossible to not be affected by their enthusiasm about the way their community has grown since Peter first arrived.  He started with nothing, and now, only a few years later, the school is arguably one of the best in Tanzania. His students are extremely bright, each one having the potential to do amazing things within their communities, and even for their country at large.

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However, even with all these accomplishments, Arusha still does not have access to clean water because of it being located very high up in the mountains. Because of its location, it makes it difficult to drill a borehole well in the village. Talking with Peter we decided to work with him and the community to find a solution to their problem; this would be a perfect place for a well because we knew the water would be used effectively. We will begin drilling in Arusha later this year!

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This village of Arusha, as well as all the other villages Alexi and I visited this past summer, is truly what gives us the motivation to come back to the States to continue our goal of providing more villages with more water. Sadly, even though we are out there drilling wells for villages, the problem of not being able to access clean water is not going away anytime soon. However, every time we come home from being out there we feel more confident in our struggles to provide villages with much needed, water. This water makes for a lasting impression, and is the first step in providing these people with the opportunity to grow. By helping them to help themselves, we know that the changes we will see in these villages in the years to come will be what inspires us to continue on with our journey.

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We are so thankful to have the support of Quiksilver Women for our work with E.P.I.C., because without them, it would be so much more difficult to provide help to the people in the world that need it the most. We look forward to beginning the drilling process in these new villages and to see the continued “ripple effect” that comes with it; this life saving drop of water that forces community growth.

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-  Tennille Amor

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As most of you already know Quiksilver Women’s honors and supports leaders who are characterized as “independent, creative, effortless sexy and timeless.” Now insert, Alexi Panos and Tennille Amor, two QSW ambassadors who both embody the passion, personality and spirit we at Quiksilver love and embrace! For the past year QSW has been partners with these two incredible women in their efforts to bring change to the people in Africa. Through their non-profit Organization E.P.I.C., Everyday People Initiating Change, Tennille and Alexi travel to Tanzania, Africa consistently to drill sustainable water wells and teach the people there the importance of hygiene and sanitation. Being partners with E.P.I.C., QSW will continue to donate 3% of our T-Shirt sales to the drilling of these wells. We are pleased to say that under E.P.I.C. two wells have already been completed and more are in the process of being developed.
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Because it is important for us to show you exactly what is going on when these two girls travel to Africa, for the next couple of weeks this blog will be presenting Blog entries from both Tennille and Alexi telling us of their travels. These entries will inform you of the real struggles these girls face while over in Tanzania, and the satisfaction it brings when one gives back. We hope their stories will open up a sense of compassion within and help drive all of our readers to help support their very special cause.
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To donate directly to E.P.I.C. click here!

Alexi Panos, Quiksilver Women Ambassador and co-founder of E.P.I.C (Everyday People Initiating Change) is dedicated to helping bring fresh drinking water to the people of Africa. With the help of Tenille Amor, co-founder of E.P.I.C and Quiksilver Women Ambassador, and through their partnership with Quiksilver Women, they have made their dream a reality. With the success of two fresh water wells and the hope to drill three more in 2010, they are truly the epitome of the word DO-GOODER! Water really does change everything.
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Check out Alexi in the new True Blue campaign for JetBlue.

No water sucks! It’s true.  That’s why Quiksilver and Roxy are about to unleash a new ‘Green Campaign’ under the same name.

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‘No Water Sucks’ is a European awareness campaign aimed at water conservation to be held throughout March 2010.  The concept: raise funds to develop water protection projects, in partnership with ‘Save Your Logo’* and supported by the E.P.I.C movement, a project created by our Quiksilver Women Tennille Amor and Alexi Panos.

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Alexi Panos

Tennille Amor

The girls from E.P.I.C., Everyday People Initiating Change just re-launched their website and also created this stunning video explaining their organization, past efforts and what they aim to accomplish in the future – including the 3 wells they hope to build this year with Quiksilver’s help.

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Through their partnership with Quiksilver Women, E.P.I.C. raised enough money through royalties from Quiksilver’s eco-friendly products in 2009 to complete two new water wells in Africa. This year E.P.I.C. and Quiksilver hope to drill three more wells through the continuation of their collaboration.

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For every Quiksilver women’s ecofriendly product sold on Quiksilver-store.com, 1€ will be donated to E.P.I.C. In addition,selected Organic Cotton Tees(L’Amour,Find Your Freedom,Gimme Green) will be sold at 19€, from which all the proceedings will go to E.P.I.C.

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100% of donations to E.P.I.C are applied directly to the drilling of wells since the founders rely on personal income and grants to sustain the organization. Check it out and see what you can do to make a difference.

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* Save Your logo Save Your Logo is an endowment fund for Biodiversity. It invites brands with a logo symbolizing a natural element to commit themselves to the conservation of that same element and contributed so much to their success.

Quiksilver encourages creative female talent and supports young artists on the road to success and we are very pleased to announce that our own Quiksilver Women Leddra Chapman, Ellie Lawson and Tennille Amor are sharing some tracks from their respective new albums with us.

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With three creative and talented artists and three awesome albums to discover what are you waiting for? To download some tracks from our ambassadors, just go to http://music.quiksilver-women.com and suscribe. Thank you for your support and thank you Leddra, Ellie and Tennille for sharing your music with us!

LEDDRA CHAPMAN Photo: Timo Jarvinen

ELLIE LAWSON Photo: Timo Jarvinen

TENNILLE AMOR