Skateistan: To Live and Skate In Kabul
“A skateboard park and school surrounded by war makes perfect sense in a senseless world, doesn’t it?”– C.R. Stecyk III
Skateistan: To Live And Skate Kabul is a beautifully shot film that follows the lives of a group of young skateboarders in Afghanistan. Operating against the backdrop of war and bleak prospects, the Skateistan charity project is the world’s first co-educational skateboarding school, where a team of international volunteers work with girls and boys between the ages of 5 and 17, an age group largely untouched by other aid programs.
I recently took a position as an after school skateboard instructor at a local middle school. I saw this video after "teaching" my first class and felt very inspired by what hope skateboarding can bring to kids. Whether they are in a war torn country or in the safe neighborhoods of Portland, skateboarding gives kids an opportunity to find hope in themselves. Finding small victories through a simple hobby can mean everything to kids who are just starting to understand themselves and their place in the world around them. If we can find hope in ourselves then we can begin to find hope in the world around us.
Check out http://skateistan.org/ for more info on a good cause and support your local skateboarder.