Skateistan Cambodia
This project's parent organization is Skateistan
It operates in Cambodia
It uses Skateboarding
Entered the Best New Project
More about Skateistan Cambodia
Over 30 years after a devastating civil war which led to the death of up to ? of the population, Cambodia remains one of the poorest countries in Asia. The country faces endemic corruption, limited educational opportunities, high income inequality, and poor job prospects. Over 1/3 of children under 5 suffer from chronic malnutrition, and over 50% of the population is less than 25 years old. There are more than 2000 organizations and NGOs currently operating in Cambodia to combat these issues, many of which are reputable, best-practice organizations. However, there are many youth who continue to avoid institutional environments and re-main unengaged with these services, lacking basic healthcare and educational opportunities.
Additionally, Khmer girls have far fewer opportunities than boys to practice sport. Skateistan Cambodia aims to use skateboarding to build self-esteem and empower these youth. Acting as a “hook”, skateboarding engages them in a fun and non-threatening way, while connecting them with the services that they were not previously able or willing to access. We do this by partnering with other reputable NGOs to attract youth to their organizations through skateboarding, referring independent students to schools and medical services, and providing an arts-based educational curriculum alongside skateboarding instruction.