The Situation

Uganda is one of the countries where child soldiers are still recruited, kidnapped and enslaved. In the capital of Kampala the people have other problems. For example, HIV, unemployment, hunger and a lack of sensible leisure activities for children and young people. Nearly 20,000 people live in the Kitintale slum. Many of them cannot even afford one meal a day. Often it is only a cup of tea. But a subject with a glimpse of hope is making the rounds throughout the slum and even throughout Uganda. There are actually people who can move on a board and even jump with it. They have even built their own ramps. The Uganda Skateboard Union started with ten young people and since then has been a success story of hope and joy.

Following reports in the BBC and in various skate magazines, skate-aid contacted the Uganda Skateboard Union in July 2010. This project began in 2006 and fits perfectly into our long-term plans to organise an East African skateboard championship with the bordering countries of Kenya and Tanzania. In addition, Douglas from the Union will be the first skateboard trainer for our project in Tanzania.
In August 2010 our director and project manager for Africa, Torben Oberhellmann, visited the Uganda Skateboard Union as part of our Tanzania plans. After several days in the slum Torben and we at skate-aid realised: the Uganda Skateboard Union is doing a fantastic job and will become a project supported by skate-aid. On the last day of his trip, Torben and Jake organised a skate jam with music followed by a party for the whole community.

The ramps in the first skateboard park in Uganda were built in 2006 and desperately needed refurbishing. In addition, the number of young people who want to take part in the project is growing constantly. Currently the Uganda Skateboard Union offers more than 50 youngsters of 12 and above in the Kitintale slum in Kampala the opportunity to enjoy skateboarding together each day. This enables the young people to build up social contacts with like-minded youngsters and their bio-psycho-social health is improved. The main problems in this area are lack of education, unemployment, diseases such as HIV and drug abuse. Therefore the Uganda Skateboard Union has one rule: school and work take priority; whoever comes to the park drunk, stoned or just with a cigarette is thrown out - and if they repeat, they are thrown out of the Union. Because you can only be a good skater if your body and mind are healthy.

skate-aid accomplishes

1) Renovation of the existing Skateboard facility in the Kitintale slum in Uganda's capital (Kampala) in order to reduce the risk of the youngsters injuring themselves on dilapidated ramps.

2) Enlarging the Skateboard facility from 150m² to 350m² in order to give the needed space to even more youngsters.

3) We will build an office and a storage room, so that the project manager of the Uganda Skateboard Union doesn´t have to make space available in his one-room home any longer. This also makes it possible for other supporters to arrange <Skateboard Trainings even if the projectz manager is not around.

4) Shipping of Skateboard-Hardware and safety gear, as there is no such Industry in Uganda to supply the project with material.

The project will be prepared in close collaboration with the authorities in Uganda. We at skate-aid draw up construction plans according to local needs and including the young people in the plans. Skateboards and protective clothing is then sent to Uganda. As soon as we have collected enough donations, we will fly out to Uganda, clear the skateboards through customs, oversee construction of the facility and monitor finances on site. At the same time the pedagogical concept will be reviewed. In order to keep costs low and to create a feeling of self-fulfilment we include the wishes of the young people in the plans. In addition the youngsters who are unable to go to school or do not have a job will be able to help with construction work and hence learn basic skills of the trade. And that in turn improves their chances of finding work.

Have a look at the video: A Skatepark in Uganda