Skatepark Karokh, Afghanistan Skate park at a school in Karokh (Herat) Afghanistan

The people of Afghanistan saw the "8th wonder of the world" approaching: The first concrete skate park with a sports facility in Karokh, Afghanistan, has been completed.

In cooperation with Skate-Aid (www.skate-aid.org) and Dr. Rupert Neudeck (co-founder and chairman of the international peace corps Grünhelme e. V., www.gruenhelme.de), a concrete park for 7,500 pupils was built at a school in Karokh, Afghanistan, which was completed in April 2010



In the last five years, the Green Helmets have succeeded in building 18 schools in this district alone (now a total of 31 schools in Herat province!). These schools have created a comprehensive school system for more than 20,000 girls and 20,000 boys. None of these schools were touched, closed or destroyed by the Taliban (or others). The Taliban have never been welcome in the Karoq district. And the people of this district are really proud of that.



When Rupert Neudeck came to Herat in April 2009 with Titus Dittmann, an entrepreneur from Münster, we first wanted to test the children's interest in skateboarding. Hardly anyone knew the word skateboarding back then. Hardly anyone had ever seen such a "mouse car" (as the janitor in Karoq called it). But even after the first test ride, none of the children wanted to get off the board voluntarily.



The concrete park has now been completed in the last two months. Marc Zanger (skate-aid activist) from the Dittmann Foundation and Zobair Akhi (civil engineer who studied in Germany) have managed to build this "8th wonder of the world". Marc Zanger is also teaching a group of highly gifted children how to turn on the boards during breaks and sports lessons on the existing concrete volleyball court.



The skateboard that the children play with has another advantage in Afghanistan: it is not "gender biased". So young girls are also allowed to play with the "mouse car", as they are forbidden to play (e.g. ball games or cycling).



In the near future, further fundraising campaigns will be carried out and it is planned to offer permanent care and skateboarding lessons.