TC VO/SOUND VISION GRAPHICS
Skateistan News Feature
00.00.10.00 –00.00.26.00 VO:The city of Kabul is reeling from decades of warfare. Thousands of its children face a life with few prospects. But some are finding hope in an unlikely place.
00.00.26.00 –00.00.45.00 Wais – Skateboarder, SkateistanPeople look at our shoes and boards in a weird way. They think they are attached to our boards through some sort of magnetic field.
00.00.48.00 –00.01.17.00 Wais – Skateboarder, SkateistanOne day without skateboarding is like a month without skateboarding for me.My family and I used to work at Mikroyan, my father and three brothers washed cars for a living. We made a living but the work was intense. Before, my life was hard, but it’s better now because of Skateistan.
00.01.17.00 –00.01.25.00 VO:The Skateistan project is transforming the lives of hundreds of children like Wais through unique sporting and education initiative.
00.01.25.00 –00.01.44.00 Sharna Nolan – Co-founder, SkateistanSkateistan is Afghanistan’s first skateboarding school and was brought together by a bunch of expatriate aid workers living in Kabul, that had the common love of skateboarding and wanted to share something with the Afghan children here.
00.01.50.00 –00.01.56.00 VO:Another of Skateistan’s pupils is Murza, a 17-year old boy who has known nothing but a lifetime of war.
00.01.57.00 –00.02.11.00 Murza – skateboarder, Skateistan:We can’t escape the violent situation. I am so used to it that it doesn’t scare me anymore. It’s been happening throughout my life and will continue into the future.
00.02.11.00 –00.02.15.00 VO:But Murza’s involvement with Skateistan has renewed his hope.
00.02.15.00 –00.02.28.00 Murza – skateboarder, Skateistan:Life is hard in Kabul. It is solely because of the support of Skateistan that I am standing now.
00.02.38.00 –00.03.55.00 Sharna Nolan – Co-founder, SkateistanSkateistan builds on the positive interactions that kids experience through skateboarding and we also build in education. We expose our students to a whole range of new ideas and new subjects that are typically under resourced in Afghan regular schooling.Kabul’s a city that was designed for around two million people max and at the moment they estimate there’s anywhere between 3.5 million to 5 million people living here. The roads aren’t clean. There’s no real waste disposal systems. Water and sanitation is an issue. The majority are doing quite poorly still and it’s a real struggle day-to-day. We’re able to bring in working children, that have not been to school or have limited educational opportunities into a classroom with more educated children. We’re able to bring children that typically wouldn’t mix in Afghan neighbourhoods, so among our 240 students we have; Hazaras, Uzbeks, Pashtuns, Tajiks, all playing together, all building relationships and all having fun through skateboarding and through the classroom activities that we do.
00.04.00.00 –00.04.08.00 VO:One of the most remarkable things about Skateistan is it’s inclusion of women in sport, something that only a few years ago would have been unthinkable.
00.04.08.00 –00.04.15.00 Fazilla – Skateboarder, Skateistan:My name is Fazilla, I am 12 years old and I live in Qalai Zaman Khan.
00.04.15.00 –00.04.26.00 Shams Razi – Teacher, SkateistanFazilla is, actually, she has come from a very poor family, they have a lot of problems in the family and she is going to the course so we are providing the for money for her to go to the school.
00.04.29.00 –00.04.44.00 Sharna Nolan – Co-founder, SkateistanWhen I first met Fazilla, she was incredibly shy. Skateboarding has given her an outlet to express herself through sporting achievement but also to think ahead to her future.
00.04.48.00 –00.04.56.00 VO:While the Skateistan project has enjoyed support from the wider community, there has been opposition from some corners, especially towards girls skateboarding.
00.04.48.00 –00.05.34.00 Fazilla – Skateboarder, Skateistan:I believe that people have negative thoughts, they disagree with girls wanting to pursue skateboarding as a hobby. My family are mostly on my side, however my father disagrees with this hobby. When I am skating on the streets, I can feel people questioning my right to skate. Their opinions are meaningless to me. I really like skating and I won’t stop.
00.05.38.00 –00.05.49.00 VO:Fazilla is not the only one that has found people questioning her right to skate. Maurin was a top pupil at Skateistan until her brother forced her to stop as he didn’t believe girls should skateboard.
00.05.50.00 –00.06.01.00 Mariam - skateboarder:My family want me to stay at home and do housework. I am often upset at home because I want to skate.
00.06.01.00 –00.06.16.00 Sophie Friedel– Volunteer, SkateistanShe used to be skating for two years now, I think, but since we got the skate park, she’s not allowed to come skateboarding anymore because her brothers, they don’t want her taking part in any sports and that’s sadly still the attitude of quite a few families here.
00.06.23.00 –00.06.42.00 VO:Old prejudices may not have completely disappeared, but the fact that girls are now involved in sport at all, is a sign of shifting moods in Kabul. In a country with few opportunities for young people, Skateistan represents a way for children to build their confidence and form new ways of seeing the world.
00.06.42.00 –00.06.57.00 Sharna Nolan – Co-founder, SkateistanWe really believe that if these children are going to inherit the problems (that they will/in Kabul???), particularly in a country which has been through 30 years of war, it’s important to show them new qualities of what it takes to be a leader.
00.07.04.00 –00.07.08.00 Murza – Skaterboarder, Skateistan:We, the people of Afghanistan must unite to rebuild the country.
00.07.08.00 –00.07.23.00 VO:The problems Afghanistan faces are enormous, however, classrooms of Skateistan, children are growing up learning the skills they need to help rebuild their devasted country.
00.07.25.00 –00.07.31.00 Murza – Skaterboarder, Skateistan:My hope is that my country is led by someone who is able to bring peace.
00.07.40.00 –00.07.48.00 VO:While, until there is peace, nothing can be certain. Hope is being kept alive in this school, with a difference.
Skateistan News Feature
00.00.10.00 –00.00.26.00 VO:The city of Kabul is reeling from decades of warfare. Thousands of its children face a life with few prospects. But some are finding hope in an unlikely place.
00.00.26.00 –00.00.45.00 Wais – Skateboarder, SkateistanPeople look at our shoes and boards in a weird way. They think they are attached to our boards through some sort of magnetic field.
00.00.48.00 –00.01.17.00 Wais – Skateboarder, SkateistanOne day without skateboarding is like a month without skateboarding for me.My family and I used to work at Mikroyan, my father and three brothers washed cars for a living. We made a living but the work was intense. Before, my life was hard, but it’s better now because of Skateistan.
00.01.17.00 –00.01.25.00 VO:The Skateistan project is transforming the lives of hundreds of children like Wais through unique sporting and education initiative.
00.01.25.00 –00.01.44.00 Sharna Nolan – Co-founder, SkateistanSkateistan is Afghanistan’s first skateboarding school and was brought together by a bunch of expatriate aid workers living in Kabul, that had the common love of skateboarding and wanted to share something with the Afghan children here.
00.01.50.00 –00.01.56.00 VO:Another of Skateistan’s pupils is Murza, a 17-year old boy who has known nothing but a lifetime of war.
00.01.57.00 –00.02.11.00 Murza – skateboarder, Skateistan:We can’t escape the violent situation. I am so used to it that it doesn’t scare me anymore. It’s been happening throughout my life and will continue into the future.
00.02.11.00 –00.02.15.00 VO:But Murza’s involvement with Skateistan has renewed his hope.
00.02.15.00 –00.02.28.00 Murza – skateboarder, Skateistan:Life is hard in Kabul. It is solely because of the support of Skateistan that I am standing now.
00.02.38.00 –00.03.55.00 Sharna Nolan – Co-founder, SkateistanSkateistan builds on the positive interactions that kids experience through skateboarding and we also build in education. We expose our students to a whole range of new ideas and new subjects that are typically under resourced in Afghan regular schooling.Kabul’s a city that was designed for around two million people max and at the moment they estimate there’s anywhere between 3.5 million to 5 million people living here. The roads aren’t clean. There’s no real waste disposal systems. Water and sanitation is an issue. The majority are doing quite poorly still and it’s a real struggle day-to-day. We’re able to bring in working children, that have not been to school or have limited educational opportunities into a classroom with more educated children. We’re able to bring children that typically wouldn’t mix in Afghan neighbourhoods, so among our 240 students we have; Hazaras, Uzbeks, Pashtuns, Tajiks, all playing together, all building relationships and all having fun through skateboarding and through the classroom activities that we do.
00.04.00.00 –00.04.08.00 VO:One of the most remarkable things about Skateistan is it’s inclusion of women in sport, something that only a few years ago would have been unthinkable.
00.04.08.00 –00.04.15.00 Fazilla – Skateboarder, Skateistan:My name is Fazilla, I am 12 years old and I live in Qalai Zaman Khan.
00.04.15.00 –00.04.26.00 Shams Razi – Teacher, SkateistanFazilla is, actually, she has come from a very poor family, they have a lot of problems in the family and she is going to the course so we are providing the for money for her to go to the school.
00.04.29.00 –00.04.44.00 Sharna Nolan – Co-founder, SkateistanWhen I first met Fazilla, she was incredibly shy. Skateboarding has given her an outlet to express herself through sporting achievement but also to think ahead to her future.
00.04.48.00 –00.04.56.00 VO:While the Skateistan project has enjoyed support from the wider community, there has been opposition from some corners, especially towards girls skateboarding.
00.04.48.00 –00.05.34.00 Fazilla – Skateboarder, Skateistan:I believe that people have negative thoughts, they disagree with girls wanting to pursue skateboarding as a hobby. My family are mostly on my side, however my father disagrees with this hobby. When I am skating on the streets, I can feel people questioning my right to skate. Their opinions are meaningless to me. I really like skating and I won’t stop.
00.05.38.00 –00.05.49.00 VO:Fazilla is not the only one that has found people questioning her right to skate. Maurin was a top pupil at Skateistan until her brother forced her to stop as he didn’t believe girls should skateboard.
00.05.50.00 –00.06.01.00 Mariam - skateboarder:My family want me to stay at home and do housework. I am often upset at home because I want to skate.
00.06.01.00 –00.06.16.00 Sophie Friedel– Volunteer, SkateistanShe used to be skating for two years now, I think, but since we got the skate park, she’s not allowed to come skateboarding anymore because her brothers, they don’t want her taking part in any sports and that’s sadly still the attitude of quite a few families here.
00.06.23.00 –00.06.42.00 VO:Old prejudices may not have completely disappeared, but the fact that girls are now involved in sport at all, is a sign of shifting moods in Kabul. In a country with few opportunities for young people, Skateistan represents a way for children to build their confidence and form new ways of seeing the world.
00.06.42.00 –00.06.57.00 Sharna Nolan – Co-founder, SkateistanWe really believe that if these children are going to inherit the problems (that they will/in Kabul???), particularly in a country which has been through 30 years of war, it’s important to show them new qualities of what it takes to be a leader.
00.07.04.00 –00.07.08.00 Murza – Skaterboarder, Skateistan:We, the people of Afghanistan must unite to rebuild the country.
00.07.08.00 –00.07.23.00 VO:The problems Afghanistan faces are enormous, however, classrooms of Skateistan, children are growing up learning the skills they need to help rebuild their devasted country.
00.07.25.00 –00.07.31.00 Murza – Skaterboarder, Skateistan:My hope is that my country is led by someone who is able to bring peace.
00.07.40.00 –00.07.48.00 VO:While, until there is peace, nothing can be certain. Hope is being kept alive in this school, with a difference.