These Afghani Women Are Grateful for What This Skateboarder Did for Their Lives

by N/A, 10 years ago | 2 min read

It's amazing the positive influence one person can have on a group of young people!Â

When Australian skateboarder Oliver Percovich visited Afghanistan in 2007, he served as a catalyst for a series of amazing things that led to just such an amazing event.Â

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During his visit, Percovich realized that the trials and tribulations Afghanistan had gone through had really hit the kids in the area hard. He saw a shocking amount of them begging for money.

His heart went out to the girls, especially, who didn't have an outlet like sports playing because with their clothing requirements, it was virtually impossible.Â

But he thought about skateboarding, and that this was an activity that actually COULD take place even with restrictive clothing...and could provide a much-needed outlet to these children.

So he decided he wanted to create a place for kids to have this opportunity. He started Skateistan. It's a non-profit that allows kids to have a safe space to learn about skating, let loose and have fun.

But Skateistan does something else, too...it allows for these kids, 40% of whom are female and 50% are streetworkers, to get an education as well.

If the students start to really get engaged with the program and demonstrate that they're interested, the program works to actually get them into school programs and help get them started on a life filled with education. Not only that, they keep track of them for the next few years, making sure they stay on track and don't get into a troubling situation.Â

The program offers two amazing things these children might not have otherwiseâ€”a chance to become educated, and a chance to have some fun.

We can't think of many things better than that!