Skateboarding in Afghanistan. Not really something I’d thought about before, but I guess it’s possible… if the boys there are able to get their hands on a board or two, they’d probably enjoy it. It’s a pretty universal thing, the enjoyment that can come from rolling along. But if you’d told me that Afghanistan has a skateboard school, and that 40% of the students are girls, I just wouldn’t have believed you.

But it’s true!

The story of “Skateistan” started in 2007, when Australian Skateboarder Oliver Percovich dropped his board in Kabul, and found that some of the local kids wanted to give it a try. The success of his first protégés got him thinking bigger; an indoor facility where girls could get more involved, and continue to skate.

By 2009 the indoor facility was ready to roll, built on land donated by the Afghan National Olympic Committee. Skateistan now provides a place for hundreds of kids to learn new skills, connect with education, and build confidence. Skating lessons are combined with lessons in areas such as literacy, geography, culture, and art, and one of my favourite features is a “back to school” program, that re-connects kids who have dropped out of school, and helps older kids who have never been to school to get started. After a four month intensive course, the students are ready to enrol in a local school (but continue skating!).

In Afghanistan, youth literacy is low. Only 49% of boys and 18% of girls aged 15-24 are literate, and the lure of skateboarding has acted as the catalyst for hundreds of kids to get involved in education.

Speaking of girls, they’re the big story here. In Afghanistan, there aren’t many ways for girls to exercise, express themselves, and gain confidence. Not only does Skateistan offer an important opportunity for girls, it also helps to change young boys’ ideas about gender, showing them that anyone can be active, skilled, confident, and happy.

The success of Skateistan in the Afghan capital of Kabul has been profound, and now the idea is spreading worldwide. Skateistan has now expanded to a second Afghan city, and also to South Africa and Cambodia. The sky’s the limit for this idea, and its innovative way to build gender equality, healthy bodies, and healthy minds!

Learning how to set up decks at #Skateistan #SouthAfrica

A photo posted by @skateistan on

Want to know more of the story? This video is a good place to start!


Editorial

Defeat Poverty

The Afghan skate school getting girls on a roll

By Michael Wilson