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Building a climbing gym in Kabul 26-Jul-2010 At 10:02:00 PM Jake Simkin

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originally I thought teaching skateboarding was dumb ideas as what is skateboarding when books, water and sanitation are needed. Afghan heroes are all men with guns who fought for the country. But the change seems to come especially with obviously a need of peace where heroes with guns can be replaced with sports heroes.

Skateboarding was a sport which was somehow able to challenge a perception that girls could do it too. It had seemed to work. Skateboarding like rock climbing is about challenging fear and to me it didn't matter. I once had a girl give a speech about how coming to the skatepark was her heaven on this earth. She had come from a poor family and had been abused while begging and well if standing on a board and going down a ramp for the first time and making it is escape from her her reality then why not.

It has taken me a year to suggested getting this rock climbing wall built into the skatepark and change it concept to a youth centre of sorts teaching painting, media arts, theatre and photography. I may not be able to change the world but at least I got 300 boys and 200 girls who can at least escape the reality they are in and be able to produce some sort of output.

Sending the stuff here is costly to Afghanistan. My suggestion by military post is simple it is far cheaper and anyway it is our tax payers dollars that is paying for it to come here.

So far the French and German climbing community has donated me 5000 holds and some trad equipment, I'd love some support from my Australian community as I see it, it has been 2 1/2 years I've seen home (missing those camping trips at Arapiles) and probably another 2 till I feel the youth centres has gone well and I can move on.

And yes Jacqui and anybody else, I can put up photos of the space and show a basic design of a wall layout.