Afghanistan, that’s what a group of youngsters are experiencing today, thanks to Skateistan, which hosts more than 300 boys and girls from the community every week in classes that focus on skateboarding and education in general. This non-governmental organization is also the focus of a fascinating, emotional new documentary called Skateistan: To Live and Skate Kabul. This raw look at young Afghan ‘boarders illustrates the daily struggle to survive in one of the most violent and poorest places on Earth, and how skateboarding is helping them rise above it all.

Murza, a 17-year-old from the Khayr Khana neighborhood of Kabul, once had to support his family by bringing in extra cash a car washer, but now he works at Skateistan, cleaning up the facility as well as training other would-be skaters. For him, the violence has become part of his daily routine — “It’s been happening throughout my life, and it will continue into the future” — but Skateistan’s mere existence has given him hope that better days are ahead.

Sharna Nolan, an Australian expat now living in Afghanistan, cofounded Skateistan back in 2007, and has witnessed firsthand how the hobby has changed the lives of those who walk through her doors. “Skateboarding’s a fantastic way to communicate with each other and build relationships with each other,” she says in the film. “There’s nothing like watching an Afghan woman roll down the ramp for the first time and she’s achieved something that she never thought she would.”

Perhaps most wrenching is the story of 12-year-old Fazilla, who works on the street selling gum to help feed her family. She talks about the gender bias she’s faced since she’s taken up skateboarding, vaguely alluding to the fact that her father “disagrees” with her choice of activity, but Fazilla has found the strength to carry on, amidst the constant stares and silent judgments of passersby.

“When I am skating on the street,” she says in the film, “I can feel people questioning my right to skate.

“Their opinions are meaningless to me.”

Skateistan was filmed nearly a year ago on location in Kabul by director and Grain Media cofounder Orlando von Einsiedel.

And whether you’ve got a new skateboard on hand that you’re willing to part with or a few bucks that you can throw their way for a donation, head on over to Skateistan’s website and make a donation of any size.

Because even a simple skateboard can give someone hope.

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See Also:

• Video: Meet Asher Bradshaw, the 7-Year-Old Skateboarding Phenom …
• Video: Insane Downhill Skateboarding
• Standing Up For Skateparks — Tony Hawk Style
• From Bikes to Blades, the Craziest Parkour Tricks
• The Art of Parkour: Capturing Extreme Jump Shots

Authors: Erik Malinowski

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