Skateistan

If we are selected as a winner we would use the funding for our ongoing programme costs, allowing sustainable programming and making sure we can deliver quality programs to our students, as well as investing in staff capacity building. Each Skate School is run entirely by local staff and we strongly believe in empowering our colleagues all over the world. 

As Skateistan's Founder and Executive Director, I am an advocate for empowering children through skateboarding and creative education. I founded Skateistan, a grassroots Sport for Development project, on the streets of Kabul in 2008. I had just moved there and was exploring the city by skateboarding. Soon children asked me if they could use my skateboards. I started running skate sessions in an abandoned fountain. I saw how children of different ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, including girls, were interacting without prejudices when skateboarding. Although most Afghan girls weren't allowed to play sports due to social norms, the skateboard was seen more as a toy and provided a loophole for them to join in the fun. That's where the idea for Skateistan came from. It is driven by the needs as perceived by Afghans. 

Today, Skateistan is an award-winning international NGO with facilities and full-time educational and sports programs running in Afghanistan, Cambodia and South Africa, reaching over 3,000 children weekly. 

The communities in which Skateistan works are affected by poverty, conflict, and crime, perpetuating insecurity. In these contexts, children's voices are often not heard or valued, with their physical and mental wellbeing not being prioritized. In Afghanistan, an estimated 3.7 to 4.5 million children are out of school and approximately 60% of these are girls (UNICEF 2018). UN figures indicate that Afghanistan is classified in the top 10 toughest places for girls’ education worldwide. Children in Cambodia and South Africa also face numerous barriers to education (e.g. exploitation through child labour, and gender-based violence) which impacts behaviour at school.

Physical education and the arts are not always accessible for children. Without the chance for children to play sport in their formative years, valuable team-building, confidence-building and physical development opportunities are lost. Through offering a combination of free sports, formal education and non-formal creative education in a safe and supportive environment, Skateistan students develop valuable life skills that go beyond the skatepark and classroom. 

Skateistan is the first international development organization to combine skateboarding with larger educational, social, and health outcomes. The novelty of skateboarding in places where it is not usually accessible ensures that the children are always excited to come to our Skate Schools. This is especially true for girls in Afghanistan, where skateboarding is very new and girls can participate even though cultural norms usually discourage girls from many sporting activities. Skateboarding can also be easily adapted to different abilities, making it equally accessible to children with disabilities, while building life skills such as self-confidence, perseverance, team building and goal setting. Skateistan has a holistic model, valuing long-term engagement with children to facilitate peaceful co-existence and unique youth-led communities, breaking barriers of ethnic and socio-economic divides, gender inequality and discrimination. The impact of Skateistan goes beyond the walls of the Skate Schools and has positive effects on children and their families, in terms of healthy lifestyles, future opportunities, and the ability and confidence to advocate for their rights, becoming role models in their communities. The model has proven scalable and replicable in diverse international locations as demonstrated through the Goodpush Alliance. 

Skateistan’s approach is a long-term, holistic intervention that seeks to empower children and help them to overcome the many and varied barriers they may encounter. 

Children aged 5 - 17, from diverse backgrounds attend five carefully designed, tried and tested programs. In safe spaces, they are encouraged to play and learn and are given access to education, emotional support, safety, and a creative outlet. 

Short term: Children find a fun, safe community where they can play and learn, free from discrimination and violence. Within a diverse peer group they come to understand themselves as equal with others, while learning new skills and building friendships.
Medium term: As members of a thriving learning community, children develop key life and vocational skills and increase their confidence. They set goals, stay in school, and become involved in civic engagement activities. Many become role models for their peers in the skatepark and classes.
Long term: At 18, students graduate from Skateistan and from high school with an expanded notion of community, and the tools to seek out further education and employment. Some become Skateistan volunteers and staff, and all join a global community of active, engaged citizens promoting such values as equality, education, and inclusion.