Empowering Kawaala kid's and Youth's through Skateboarding

I am Annick and got to know KSI, ‘Kampala Skate Board Initiative’ during a biking trip through Uganda in march 2024. I watched some of their video’s on Instagram in the months before my trip and I was hit by the way the KSI-crew achieved in bringing kids, challenged by poverty, together teaching them skate boarding skills without any convenient space, with only 5 skate boards for 30 kids, …Apart from skate boarding skills, the KSI crew achieves in make them experience brotherhood, joy of spending time together, helping each other practicing the skills, …Briefly: the KSI-video’s inspired me in #makegoodthingshappen for them and teir activities. I visited the initiative in March 2024 during a group Skateboard session in Kawaala and at that moment the KSI stole my heart. At that moment I donated some materials, but I understood immediately: their need is not only in materials.

In the meantime we had several meetings and I am convinced that they need to grow and spread their positive empowering vibe, which is only possible with some financial support, and that is where you can enter the KSI journey.

1. How it Began

In the heart of Kawaala, a bustling neighborhood of Kampala, Uganda, Elvis, Isaac, Ephraim and Genesis' vision took root several years ago. Faced with the challenges of poverty and limited opportunities for youth in their community, driven by their passion for skateboarding,

embarked on a journey of transformation. With little more than a few donated skateboards and a relentless determination, they began teaching local children the art of skateboarding. By time their friends also passionate in skateboarding, joined their initiative of making it possible to offer the Kampala suburbs children training sessions on a regular basis with the “Kampala Skate Board Initiative”.

2. What We've Achieved

Since its humble beginnings, Isaac, Ephraim, Elvis and Genesis' Kampala Skate Board Initiative initiative has flourished. Through the generosity of donors and supporting people from Europe and the US, they have been able to provide skateboards and essential equipment, sparking enthusiasm and a sense of belonging among the youth of Kawaala. Beyond just learning to skate, the children have gained confidence, developed new skills, and found a positive outlet for their energy. Apart from practicing the Skate Boarding, brotherhood, friendship and sharing playtime together make this initiative having a “golden border around the picture”.

https://youtube.com/@kampalaskateboardinitiative?si=rcZkDIWE344_NzLk

3. Where We Are Now

As the initiative grows, so does the need for structure and sustainability. What started as informal gatherings in the streets, skating on a sand/gravel-based floor, now demands formalization and structured organization and finding solutions to skate on concrete instead of gravel. To secure a future where skateboarding continues to inspire and empower the local kids and youth, we the Kampala Skate Board Initiative are seeking to register our initiative as a registered organization and/or NGO. We need to invest in transportation to get the kids to a concrete skate board space to improve their skills at least once a week with our more experienced kids. We need to offer the kids shoes and protection gear (knee and elbow pads, helmets, …) to have safe skate board sessions, …

4. Why We Need Your Support

The time has come to take the next step. By establishing ourselves the Initiative as a registered NGO, we The Kampala Skate Board initiative can expand our reach, access more resources, organize fund raising in a more structured way and provide even greater opportunities for the children and youth of Kawaala. Your support will enable us to cover the costs of registration and administrative fees, ensuring that we can continue making a lasting impact. As the staff of the initiative currently consists of students, there are no resources of materials, transport of the children to concrete grounds or skate parks, even not for registering the Initiative as a recognized organization, giving us a wel-lfounded base for further actions and activities.

5. When We Need It

With your help, we aim to raise $3000 to complete the registration process and have a base of resources for the daily operation of the Initiative within the next few months: invest in knee and elbow pads, helmets, shoes and pay bus transport of the kids to a concrete skate floor,... This funding will not only pave the way for our formal establishment but also symbolize a commitment to long-term change for the kids and youth in Kawaala.

6. Who We Are

We are a community-driven initiative led by Isaac, Ephraim, Elvis and Genesis supported by passionate volunteers and fueled by the dreams of Kawaala's kids. Together, we believe in the transformative power of skateboarding to break barriers, build confidence, and inspire a brighter future. Based on positive feedback on visuals on social media from people in the US, Portugal, Belgium, …a “family’ of the Kampala Skate Board Initiative is created. It concerns a group of motivated people supporting the formalization, fund raising and structural organization of the Initiative.

Join us in writing the next chapter of our journey. Your contribution, no matter the size, will make a difference in the lives of countless children in Kawaala and the staff of the initiative. Together, let's roll towards a better tomorrow.

7. Conclusion

With your support, Wheels of Change will continue to roll forward, creating ripples of positivity and hope in the heart of Kasubi. Thank you for believing in our mission and helping us turn dreams into reality, one skateboard at a time