skate-aid Skatepark in Nairobi, Kenya

This is an inspiring success story written by Kihara, who has been with us for almost 10 years.

It shows the positive outcomes and transformative impact achieved through one of the skate-aid projects, located in Nairobi, Kenya:

I was born and brought up in the Kibagare slum. Life there is very challenging, considering the environmental influence, food challenges, financial constraints and schooling. Only a few get the chance to attend a high school and higher education.

 Gratitude to skate-aid for introducing skateboarding in the slum back in 2013. I have been skating since then and personally it has been my escape from problems and issues and considering how you feel when you skate and the sense of accomplishment and resiliency that comes with it. It's sad to mention that ‘The Crew’ (community kids) that I started skateboarding with back in 2013, mostly ended up in drugs, crime and early marriages. Many are still struggling with addiction since they could no longer skate way back in 2018, because the project paused.

The moment we didn’t have no longer access to the skate park and skateboards as before, it was difficult for us to continue to skate as we did not have our own equipment, and that's where most of us took different paths.

My desire is to advocate for skateboarding and I'm working with other skateboard volunteers with the same interest. We are working to register a community-based organization for skateboarding (paperwork in progress) and some of our projects and initiatives are: Empowering kids using skateboarding sessions, Skateboarding and mental health, Conducting workshops and activities to create awareness.

I would appreciate additional support to continue making a positive impact within the skateboarding community! 

Mbuni John Kihara 21/01/2024

Update:

The project has now been revived in Kenya and some activities are already being planned.