Skate Aid: The Organization Rebuilding Communities in Damascus Through Skateboarding
In the middle of war-torn Syria, imagine having a place for kids to skate and have fun. Well, you don’t have to imagine; thanks to Skate-Aid, there is a skate park in Damascus! Check out the videos below that will warm your heart, then scroll down for the full story.
Skate-Aid is an organization that aims to empower kids through the construction and maintenance of skate parks as safe pedagogical socialization rooms with free access and support. They carry out free skateboard lessons to promote self-determined personality development, resilience, integration, and inclusion. They also provide free skateboards, accessories, and safety gear.
Skate-aid also implements and promotes youth exchange programs for the purpose of reducing cultural barriers and prejudices. One of Skate-aid’s most beautiful projects is the one in Damascus, Syria. Bringing back normalcy is a real challenge in a place like Damascus, where there is relative stability while the conflict is still going on in different parts of the country. Skate-aid played a part in the rebuilding process in addition to their role in youth empowerment and community development.
The boys and girls are introduced to skateboarding by international skate-aid volunteers and can regularly participate in skateboarding workshops. In a post-war zone, most of the children are traumatized by their early childhood experiences of violence and do not have options for sports or recreational activities which are so crucial to their development and healing process.
