Skater Girls: Dreaming Big in Afghanistan
This is Madina’s Story
Madina* is 12 years old and she lives in Kabul, Afghanistan. Madina has been coming to Skateistan for eight months and she attends both the Skate and Create and Back-to-School programs. Her family is very poor and, like thousands of girls in Afghanistan, Madina does not attend school.
“Before joining Skateistan I was at home and I did not had the chance to go to school because my family said I had to leave.”
Many children, especially girls like Madina, are out of school in Afghanistan. Often, parents who are living in poverty need their children to go out and work. Some parents are worried about their children’s safety on their way to and from school and so they keep them at home. And for many families, educating girls is simply not part of their way of life.
Around a year ago, one of Skateistan’s Community Educators met with Madina’s mother to encourage her to allow Madina to attend the Back-to-School program. Back-to-School is an accelerated learning program with the aim of helping out of school children rejoin public school. In Afghanistan, it runs five days per week and students usually re-enter school in 3rd or 4th grade. Transport to and from Skate School is provided to keep our students safe. For many children in Afghanistan, this is their only chance of getting a formal education.
Madina says:
“That day the community leader told my mom, if you don’t want your daughter to remain illiterate, then send her to Skateistan.”
That was the start of a new journey for Madina.
“I was too excited to come here…I could not wait.”
Her first day at Skateistan was very exciting for her. She knew she would be able to learn lots of new skills and she was especially excited about being able to take part in sports, something which most girls are unable to do in Afghanistan. We asked her Educator about Madina’s first day at Skateistan, and she said:
“Madina was very nervous on the first day, just like other girls. She was not talking to anyone and she was very quiet.”
As well as the lessons in the classroom and the skatepark, we aim to improve the self-confidence of our students.
Madina said:
“Since joining Skateistan I have learned to read and write. I can write the names of others and read it. Before joining Skateistan I could not dare to stand up and talk confidently, but now I am a totally different person. Now I feel proud of myself because I have got first rank in the first grade exam!”
At Skateistan we also teach students arts and life skills and we give them the chance to have fun. We have created a friendly environment for our students and we encourage them to make friends with children from other cultures or sectors of society.
Madina has found a very close friend at Skateistan.
“One other thing that makes me feel happy is a new friend that I made here. Now I can ask for help when I need it or I can share my feelings with her when I am happy or sad.”
Madina said this about her Educator:
“Here at Skateistan the person I trust the most is my Educator, because she is always supporting me in every step, she is helping me with my lessons and she is always there for me.”
Our Educators encourage our students to dream big and set goals for their future. At Skateistan we teach students about career development and we help them plan for their futures.
We asked Madina what she wants to do in the future, and she said: “When I am graduated from the Back-to-School class I want to continue going to regular school. But I will still come to the Skate and Create classes! In the future I want to become a teacher because that’s something I wanted from early childhood and now I want to chase that dream.”
Skateistan works to empower children through skateboarding and education. Over 50% of our active students are girls. Donate today to support us this International Women’s Day and help us to support more girls like Madina to dream big and fulfil their potential.
*Madina’s name has been changed in line with Skateistan’s Child Protection Policy.
