Skateistan, a nonprofit based in Kabul, is an amazing skateboarding school. Founded in 2007 with only a few students, it has grown to over 400 students each week, providing much needed support to Afghanistan’s youth. The school engages growing numbers of urban and internally-displaced youth in Afghanistan through skateboarding, and provides them with new opportunities in cross-cultural interaction, education, and personal empowerment programs.
The students are selected from all of Afghanistan’s diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. Unfortunately, tragedy is difficult to avoid in Afghanistan and Skateistan has not been spared. A suicide attack in Kabul claimed the lives of a number of young Afghans. The bomb was detonated outside of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) HQ, where many of the street working children of Kabul sell trinkets, scarves and chewing gum to help support their families.
We are very sad to learn that of the six young children confirmed to have passed away, four of them were students, volunteers and youth leaders at Skateistan, who were well-loved and well-known faces for the entire team in Kabul. It is therefore with great pain and heavy hearts that we share our memories of children who were not just victims of senseless violence, but also beautiful human beings who will never be forgotten by their teachers, peers, co-workers, students, friends or family. But programmes like this offer hope for Afghanistan’s future. Support it by sharing this film with everyone you know.