Skateistan is Afghanistan’s first skateboarding school, with separate teaching days for male and female students, as well as classes 

for the disabled. It’s also one of very few recreational spaces for girls and young women in Kabul. The organization provides on-site 

loans of skateboarding equipment, shoes and safety gear. Skate instruction is given by experienced international skateboarders as 

well as some of the very first kids to step on a skateboard in Afghanistan, who now work with Skateistan as skate instructors.

Skateboarding has been key in bringing together Afghan youth of all ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds, and the interaction is further built upon through classroom projects and discussion. The students themselves decide what they want to learn, while Skateistan provides them with the resources they need to develop skills and tell their own stories.

Youth (under 26) account for 70 percent of the country’s population, and so the most worthwhile investment that can be made is 

to provide a space that encourages tolerance, a civil society built on trust, and opportunities for education. Furthermore, the absolute novelty of the sport means that there aren’t the social norms attached that prevent girls from taking part in other sports. To give girls in Kabul a venue to exercise, have fun and play together is one of the most important reasons Skateistan was created.