Source: FP

SEE THE WHOLE PICTURE GALARY – Skateboarding in Kabul

Above, Erika, a Skateistan member, performs a jump called an ollie in front of the destroyed Buddha statues in Bamiyan, Afghanistan. The statues were destroyed by the Taliban in 2001 because the hard-line group believed them to be un-Islamic.

A skateboarding park in Afghanistan might seem a little out of place, but in a country where nearly 70 percent of the population is under the age of 25, Oliver Percovich  — the founder of the NGO Skateistan — decided there was an unique opportunity to work for peace. In Skateistan: The Story of Skateboarding in Afghanistan, Oliver explains, “The whole idea was that we’re building something for the kids, in Afghanistan, and it doesn’t matter if they’re poor, or rich, or coming from different ethnicities.” As soon as he loaned out a few boards, he says, “I saw the gleam in their eyes and knew they were hooked.” Since 2007, Skateistan has grown into an organization that employs youth from the street, teaches kids a new sport, and provides a please for boys and girls to play together.