Programs
WWoW’s 2026 Program Line Up!
(so far…)
Costa Rica con Las Machacas
Turrialba, Costa Rica
Pejibaye & Pacuare Rivers
January 10-17, 2026
Costa Rica con Las Machacas program aims to empower local Costa Rican women by providing professional training in whitewater rafting and river guiding. This initiative aligns with WWoW’s mission by using river-based education and mentorship to create career opportunities and promote gender diversity in the rafting industry. Participants will gain essential skills, certifications, and mentorship to become confident and competent river guides.
Contact Us: cr.machacas@gmail.com
Donate Here:
Sponsor a girl for $260!
Nari Nauka III
Rishikesh, India
Ganga River
March 20-28, 2026
This will be Nari Nauka’s 3rd annual progroam! In 2025 we were able to run a 7 day program with 9 amazing girls, 4 instructors, and a bonus tag-along, Sarah Hamilton that took some amazing footage of this program! This year’s goal and progression, in addition to training new girls as guides, is to now mentor the girls to teach so they can, in turn, take the program over.
Affordable
Swiftwater Rescue
Arkansas River, Colorado
May 26-27, 2026
WWoW Women's Swiftwater Rescue Course
We're excited to announce our first of many Worldwide Women of Whitewater's (WWoW's) affordable 2 day all women's swiftwater rescue course! This course is intended and geared towards those women that can't quite afford a normal class (thinking, but not limited to, the young & upcoming guides/those that are wanting to get into whitewater but money has always been a barrier).
We will be working with Canyon River Instruction in Salida, CO on the Arkansas River in our first domestic program. 20% percentage of the cost will go to the use of the river permit and utilizing Canyon River Instruction's facilities. The remainder will go straight to WWoW's 2026 programs! Instructor time will be donated.
Every registration to this event will bring us closer to achieving our mission. Together, we can create a brighter, safer, more compassionate world for all. We do not want money to be an obstacle for this one, so if the cost is a hurdle, please reach out to info@whitewaterwomen.org
Affordable
Swiftwater Rescue
American River, California
June 15-16, 2026
California Women's Swiftwater Rescue Course
We're excited to announce our second of many Worldwide Women of Whitewater's (WWoW's) affordable 2 day all women's swiftwater rescue course! This course is designed to be accessible for those women that can’t quite afford a normal class (thinking, but not limited to, the young & upcoming female guides/ those that are wanting to get into whitewater but money is a barrier.) While offering a sliding scale for those who just want to take an all women’s Swiftwater course, are stoked to support WWoW’s mission and can afford to pay it forward a little bit.
We will be working with American Whitewater Expeditions (AWE) on the American River in Coloma, CA. AWE is donating classroom space and river access, WWoW instructors are volunteering their time, and all proceeds will go directly to WWoW’s 2026 programs!
Every registration to this event will bring us closer to achieving our mission. Together, we can create a brighter, safer, more compassionate world for all. We do not want money to be an obstacle for this one, so if the cost is a hurdle, please reach out to info@whitewaterwomen.org
Mnathan na h-aibn
[ma-rah-hen nah high-n-ya]
“Women of the River”
Tay, Spey & Gary Rivers - Scotland
September 2026
When WWoW founder Elisha McArthur was 20 years old, she spent a season working on the rivers in Scotland. At the time (2001) she was the only female raft guide working in the entire country. Twenty four years later, River Wild Adventures, owner and guide Bonnie McGhie-Convery says “Not much has changed.”
We are hoping this program will help to change things and give Scottish women a foothold, and a leg up, in the whitewater industry in Scotland!
This program is supported with on the ground logistics by River Wild Adventures.
Zambezi River Girls
Zimbabwe and Zambia
Zambezi River
November 2026
Growing up in Zimbabwe, when Elvis discovered rafting, he knew it was not only his passion, but also his golden ticket to a better life. He tried to get his sisters involved in rafting, hoping to help them forge that path as well, but to no avail. Elvis now owns his own rafting company on the Zambezi river, and when he learned about WWoW he immediately reached out to ask if we could do a program there, as “It is [his] dream to see local black women guiding on the Zambezi!” We are also very excited to be partnering with the one local woman who has worked as a guide on the Zambezi for this program, Monde, who currently lives in Canada and is actively working her way back to whitewater and back to the Zambia.
This program is supported with on the ground logistics by Try Rafting Mpala Guest and Adventure Farm
