<p>Mazar-e-Sharif is Afghanistan’s third largest city, and has a high proportion of internally displaced people, who have fled to Mazar-e-Sharif to avoid fighting or insecurity in their hometowns. As a result, many children are out of school.&nbsp;Joining Skateistan is often the first opportunity Afghan girls and boys have to access sport and education, providing an identity beyond their socio-economic status and hope for the future.</p>

<p>In 2013 we opened our second, and biggest, Afghan Skate School in Mazar-e-Sharif. Three times the size of the Kabul Skate School, it features indoor and outdoor skateparks, classrooms and a separate sports hall complete with a climbing wall. Programs are run here, as well as at orphanages and in partnership with local organizations. Students living with disabilities participate in skateboarding, sports and arts-education sessions at the Skate School every week. We provide specific girls-only days, with transportation provided in the Skateistan bus.</p>
