Monaco-based organisation Peace and Sport designs and implements sports programmes in vulnerable areas to make the world a more united place
SKATEISTAN, AFGHANISTAN Unlikely as it may sound, girls are now skateboarding in Kabul, Afghanistan. Thanks to the efforts of intrepid Australian skateboarder Oliver Percovich, Afghanistan has a skateboard centre, where hundreds of young people come each week to perfect their board skills. Afghanistan might not be the type
of place most people would live out of choice, but Percovich chose to base himself there: “I was excited by the country. I liked that I could learn things about myself through existing in such a difficult environment.” He says he started the organisation
without any particular plan, simply with the intention of marrying two interests
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of working with children and skateboard- ing. Initially Percovich worked with children on the street, but his dreams of opening a centre manifested when the Afghan National Olympic Commit- tee gave a land lease donation for a skateboarding centre in Kabul, helped by funding from the Canadian, Norwegian, Danish and German governments. Now Skateistan is gearing up to open
its second centre this spring, in Mazar-e- Sharif, which will be able to work with up to 1,000 students per week. The charity has also started a street programme in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The centres give children education,
valuable skills and provide a safe haven. The aim is that the students who go
through the programme will then take ownership and lead the expansion of Skateistan. Since 2009 it has provided 28 jobs to Afghan youths from streetwork- ing backgrounds. As 68 per cent of the Afghan population is under 25 years old and 50 per cent is aged under 16 years, providing opportunities for youths of all backgrounds is essential. However, it is a challenging environ-
ment in which to operate. Two tragic suicide attacks in Kabul led to staff and students being killed. Also, 50 per cent of the students are street working children, who provide an income for their families through selling trinkets and chewing gum on the streets, so keeping up a good weekly attendance is a challenge.
SPORTS MANAGEMENT HANDBOOK 2013 41
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