<img alt="Oliver Percovich" data-align="center" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="1deb12f6-e522-4712-a81b-c46016a00fc0" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Annual-report_ollie.png" />
<h2 class="text-align-center"><span style="color:#339900;">Message from Our Executive Director</span></h2>

<p class="text-align-center">Every year at Skateistan is special but 2018 particularly stood out for me, as it marked 10 years since Skateistan was formally established as an NGO. It’s hard to believe that it’s 10 years since I was running informal skate sessions in a disused fountain in Kabul. We have come a long way since then.</p>

<p class="text-align-center"><br />
For the first time in 2018, all our Skate Schools were managed, run and staffed solely by local teams. Ownership, trust and respect are core values for the organization and it was a key part of our strategy to gradually reduce international staff in each location. Not only does this empower our local staff, it also means that the Skate Schools can truly respond to local need, because staff have an intrinsic understanding of what works in their own communities.&nbsp;</p>

<p class="text-align-center"><br />
It was fitting that it was in our 10th year that we launched the Goodpush Alliance. A new program for Skateistan, Goodpush seeks to scale our impact by supporting social skateboarding projects all over the world, sharing the knowledge that we have gained in the last 10 years.&nbsp;</p>

<p class="text-align-center"><br />
None of this would be possible without the incredible support shown to Skateistan by our supporters. As we look forward to the next 10 years, I am more excited than ever by what we can achieve together, and the lives that we can change.&nbsp;</p>

<h2 class="text-align-center"><span style="color:#615ba8;">2018 in numbers</span></h2>

<h2 class="text-align-center">In 2018 we reached <span style="color:#615ba8;">3,772</span> children</h2>

<h2 class="text-align-center">Of which <span style="color:#615ba8;">45%</span> were female</h2>

<h2 class="text-align-center"><span style="color:#615ba8;">82%</span> came from low-income backgrounds and&nbsp;</h2>

<h2 class="text-align-center"><span style="color:#615ba8;">156</span> were living with disabilities.&nbsp;</h2>

<h2 class="text-align-center">In an average week, we saw <span style="color:#615ba8;">1,988</span> participations in our programs.&nbsp;</h2>
