Skateboarding in Afghanistan: Skateistan

Skateboarding in Afghanistan: Skateistan

Every so often, you hear about someone doing something that just blows your mind with its ambition and blatant 'cojones'. Of course, in equal part is the twinge of envy that you aren't doing something just as aspirational. In a sometimes-claustrophobic Western society, you could call those people 'forces of periodic inspiration' to get outside of the norm. For me, most recently, it's been the guys and gals that have, since 2007, been working on a project which you may or may not have already heard about – Skateistan.

Skateistan is a skateboard/education-based NGO founded on the premise that, 'we build ramps, not bombs'. From teaching kids some moves at a local fountain, founder Oliver Percovich and staff have built up a multinational program which gets kids off the streets, girls into school, and provides a mechanism for peace-promotion in an unexpected and innovative way.

While girls in Afghanistan are generally forbidden from basic athletic activities such as climbing a fence or riding a bike, the relatively recent appearance of skateboarding has allowed a level of freedom from such historical prohibitions. To date, 40 percent of the school's attendees are girls. Not only that, 50 percent are children who work on the street, and many of those who are offered education are initially illiterate. Conversely, due to the intentional diversity of the school's make-up, many are the children of government officials – bringing both 'high' and 'low' society together in an atmosphere where reciprocal engagement is both natural and fun.


Image from rojaksite.com

Its acceptance so far within Afghan community may be a positive sign of an increasingly open-minded political and social culture. However, in the attempt to establish a safe and stable education system, Afghanistan may be one of the most challenging nations in the world. In 2008, 670 attacks on educational facilities were reported. In 2010, almost 5 million children were prevented from attending school due to threats of student-directed violence. Compounded with the deaths of 439 students and staff in the period from 2006-9, the school's very existence is easily percieved as tenuous.

Magnus Wennman Photo
Magnus Wennman Photo

Consequently, the dedicated spirit of those involved in the perpetuation of Western-based, gender-equal educational facility is easily apparent. Aware of the challenges faced by such a program, the staff of Skateistan Kabul tailors their educational strategy to respect local cultural traditions, with girls attending on different days than boys. Courses are taught by both Afghan and international instructors, with one hour of skateboarding and one hour of classroom programming per week.

Due to the success of Skateistan's efforts in Afghanistan, a second project in Cambodia has taken off, with Skateistan funding integral to the building of Cambodia's first skate park. And, if Afghan children were transfixed by the sport, Cambodian children are no less so. Founder and Operations Manager of the Cambodian program, Benjamin Pecqueur comments, “Youth are drawn to the newness of the sport in Cambodia – they can make it their own and this inspires their imaginations about what they can do with it”. With Skateistan's own facility recently opening in Phnom Penh, the program promises to be as great a triumph as its Afghan sister-school.

If you are as intrigued as I was with Skateistan's programs, check out the full-length documentary, Skateistan: To Live and Skate Kabul, as well as a piece on the Cambodian organization below. You can also support the Skateistan's efforts by shelling out a few dollars for its new documentary at www.skateistan.org.
 

SKATEISTAN, CAMBODIA:


 

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