Jehan Driver, who runs Quest Academy in Rameswaram, provides vocational training to fishermen’s children, to opt for alternative careers as lifeguards or watersport instructors
In a recent article published by DT Next, it was mentioned how Sekar Pichai, a youngster from a fishing hamlet in Rameswaram, went on to represent and win for India in surfing and stand-up boarding at international level contests. There was a dedicated team, which trained him in this sport; coaching similar youngsters, who reside in and around the temple town is Jehan Driver, the founder of Quest Academy. While the company offers an array of marine-based adventure sports for adrenaline junkies, they also believe in providing theory and practical classes for youngsters from fishing community to pursue possible alternative careers as lifeguards or adventure sport guides/instructors.
Calling it the ‘Baywatch’ of Tamil Nadu, Jehan says he urges boys and girls to get up on their feet and train as open water lifeguards — “It can earn them a living either within or outside India,” he says. The certificate course includes communication, first-aid, resuscitation, swimming, physical fitness and more in the syllabus. Besides that, he provides classes in kayaking, wind and kitesurfing, where once they grow to an instructor level, they can secure jobs in adventure tourism companies. “Our idea is to enable them to take up a vocation-based job because uprooting them and making them sit behind a desk in an office is not a sensible option,” he says.
Along with all of this come grooming sessions on how to dress up on the beach or address the public, because, “We’re trying to promote a beach culture in India, which is pretty much non-existent at this time,” feels Driver. “The age group of students who come to us are already modern and equipped with their sunglasses and WhatsApp, so it’s easier to mould them.”
It’s an assumption that when such new ideas are introduced to communities that have been fishing for generations, they put up a resistance. “It was exactly the opposite!” he smiles, adding, “The kids here are looking for different avenues because they’re not very inclined to go fishing anymore — the catch is declining and increased rules and regulations make things tough for them to take up this occupation. So it’s a welcome change because it doesn’t take them far away from the ocean and keeps them connected to the families.”
The government has been closely involved in trying to promote and encourage the fishing community. “We’ve done a lifeguard training sessions in Chennai, and through the forest department in Karankadu, we have provided an opportunity for locals to start a snorkeling and ‘boat’side activities on a small scale,” explains Jehan. “This, for me, is a success story because the business is run by them and for them along with the help of government officials; all we do is provide the knowledge they need for it. They are doing really well for themselves.”
As to why Jehan chose to set base in Rameswaram, he tells us, “We have a training centre in Maharashtra as well but we moved to Tamil Nadu six years ago since we found that the water quality is a lot better. Most of our sports are wind-oriented so this location is a perfect combination of wind and flat water.”
Jehan has been an instructor since he was 15. “I started Quest Academy when I was 18 and since then, I’ve been travelling around the world collecting instructorships in various sports. I was in New Zealand for three years and a year in Australia as well,” he says. Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia are also on the list of places he’s explored and it all boils down to one thing — he explains, “When people talk about watersports, they talk about motorboat or jet ski rides. I want to educate people that joy rides and marine-sports are very different; the latter is based more on manpower.
It’s not about staying on land all year but going out three kilometres onto the sea one day and becoming an overnight hero in watersports. It’s only when people receive more training in such sports will the mentality and approach change,” Jehan summarises.
