Street sports can blend wonderfully into social innovation projects, especially when they have to deal with children, because they are fun and engaging and they can also convey a larger message. Take for example the organization Skateistan: it began as a Kabul based NGO in Afghanistan and step by step it became an international non-profit charity providing skateboarding and educational programming in Afghanistan, Cambodia and Pakistan. They recruit children from the war zones, the poor zones, children who otherwise wouldn’t have any bright prospects in life and by way of the skateboard, they bring them back to school. Offering children venues and creating the context for playing and education will make a difference in their lives and hopefully they will grow up to resent the destructive forces that are shaping their countries right now.
Here is a beautiful documentary about Skateistan’s work:
SKATEISTAN: TO LIVE AND SKATE KABUL from Diesel New Voices on Vimeo.