A couple of years ago, I wrote about Skateistan. Skateistan began as a Kabul-based Afghan NGO and is now an international non-profit charity providing skateboarding and educational programming in Afghanistan, Cambodia and Pakistan. I try to regularly check their website for updates and today came across this news:
Skateistan have decided to set up an Emergency Fund to provide assistance to Skateistan students and their families in times of need. If you are interested check out the website: http://www.crowdrise.com/emergencyfund-skateistan/fundraiser/skateistan
On the morning of Saturday September 8th a suicide attack in Kabul claimed the lives of a number of young Afghans. The bomb was detonated outside of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) HQ, where many of the street working children of Kabul sell trinkets, scarves and chewing gum to help support their families.
We are very sad to learn that of the six young children confirmed to have passed away, four of them were students, volunteers and youth leaders at Skateistan, who were well-loved and well-known faces for the entire team in Kabul. It is therefore with great pain and heavy hearts that we share our memories of children who were not just victims of senseless violence, but also beautiful human beings who will never be forgotten by their teachers, peers, co-workers, students, friends or family.
You can read more about this terrible story here:http://skateistan.org/blog/tragic-loss
We are often desensitised to awful news stories that happen daily throughout the world, and in Australia have an appalling habit of not even featuring significant global events in our online news. Hands up who has opened SMH online to see features on trivial celebrity stuff and not even been able to find reports of significant events anywhere in the world (though the middle east seems to be the biggest blank void in Australia newsland).
On the desensitised front, while I guess that I'm no better than the next person, I try to remember that there are families and children, and good people who are impacted by the things we just take in while skimming stories on the internet. Like these people. I know I don't know the Skateistan crew, but I follow their work from afar and admire their courage and vision. I like how they let me into their world, and I get to see another side of Afghanistan its people. Real people who have to live in this country and just do normal things every day in a place that is far from everyday.
It is for this reason, and I hope Skateistan or Khorshid's family won't mind, that I've included a photo of her taken from their website. Why? Because it is a great picture of a regular kid. She reminds me of other girls I know, and maybe a bit of me. Even though her life was a world away from ours (I can't begin to imagine how different her life would be as a young girl in Afghanistan), that photo could be of a girl anywhere. I love her smile, I love the attitude I imagine that she had, I love that she skateboards. I hope she reminds you of someone too. She was only 14 years old.
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