New Skateistan Park Opens Today!
Kabul's skateboarders get their own park
By Andra Jackson, The Age, Australia
October 29, 2009 - 10:40PM
Afghanistan's fledging skateboarders will get their own international standard skateboard park today, thanks to a couple of Australians.
After making do with pot-holed pavements and dried up concrete fountains, Afghanistan's fledging skateboarders will get their own international standard skateboard park today.
It is thanks to the vision of two Australian skateboard enthusiasts, Sharna Nolan, 32, Fitzroy and her partner, Oliver Percovich, 35, from St Andrews who two years ago saw the potential in giving Afghanistan's war disaffected youths a new direction in life through the sport. They set up the project, skateistan, which will build the world's first co-educational skateboarding school, which will also offer classes in literacy, maths and English, open its doors at the skatepark complex.
The pair, along with international supporters, organised donations of skateboards and gave lessons to youths off the streets of Kabul, impressed the Afghan National Olympic Committee.
The governments of Norway, Denmark, Germany and Canada donated $US827,500 while Architects For Humanity donated $US86,000 and $US100,000 came from fund raising around the world.
The complex includes two classrooms equipped with computers and internet access, a boys' and girls' locker room, a cafeteria and office space. Three hundred youths — 60 per cent of them girls — are enrolled already, Ms Nolan said, and two of Kabul's leading mullahs are backing the spread of the sport.
Today's opening will be attended by several ambassadors, including Australia's ambassador to Afghanistan and the president of the Afghan National Olympic Committee, General Mohammad Zahir Aghbar.
Speaking from Kabul yesterday, Mr Percovich said that when he arrived in Afghanistan with just one skateboard, "it wasn't my idea to come to Afghanistan and build a school. It's come from the kids".
He said he was "absolutely elated" at the opening of the skatepark. "It is a whole lot of people getting behind an idea and making it a reality".
Ms Nolan said that about 100 local skateboarding recruits from Kufu orphanage, from a mixed mini circus and from local neighbours f who have been taught by the Skateistan teachers will show-off their new skills at the opening. Professional skateboarders from the US, the Netherlands and Syria will give demonstrations.
German ambassador Werner Lau said: “Skateistan offers these children a zest for life. This diversion from their often difficult existence gives the youth hope of a life of peace and security.”
--End--
More info:skateistan.org
These photos are so important and impactful to me that I wanted to share them, but they came from the Skateistan website. This is a great cause, worth supporting and spreading the word about. The photo above is from the original fountain that the Skateistan School was first held in, and the photos below are of Cairo Foster at a demo at a temporary site, and the hall that the new park is built in. The last photos are from some of the local "spots" in and around Kabul, and of their own version of Go Skateboarding Day. Amazing.
Comments
Post new comment