Skateboarding in Afghanistan

Skateistan is Afghanistan’s first dedicated co-educational skateboarding school.  I read about it in a few places last week and was struck by yet another hero making change in a tumultuous part of the world.

Ollie Percovich is an Australian skater who found himself unemployed and suddenly single in Afghanistan.  Not knowing what to do, he went with habit.  He skated around Kabul and found himself an instant celebrity.  Kids followed him around and he decided to start teaching them.  He’s still doing it, having planned and executed Skateistan.

The kids came from many different backgrounds.  Their differences were irrelevant in the face of the skating though.  1 in 5 people in Afghanistan are school aged children – one of the highest rates in the world – and there is very little in the way of sporting outlets for them.  With Ollie’s leadership and enthusiasm, smiling skateboarding kids are becoming more of a common sight in a city that has its share of misery

One girl said, “It gives me courage, and once I start skating, I completely forget about my fears.”

This kind of story inspires me in ways I can’t understand.  I simply smiled when I read about it and emailed my skating friend straight away to ask what we could do to help.  You can find out the options at the website.  Read the NYT article here.