Ethiopia is one of Africa’s poorest states, with an estimated 60,000 homeless street children – most living in the capital of Addis Ababa.
One day Israel saw children sliding down some asphalt near the capital with plastic stuck to their shoes and it inspired him to bring skating to the neighbourhood as a way of empowering and freeing the children from the life of poverty they were living in.
Extreme sports are one of the best ways to get young people of the street. Israel Dejene knew this and decided to start Ethio Skate and run a Skate project called »Love in Action«. The first skateboard ramp of Ethiopia was built for the project and now he plans to spread the projects across all of Ethiopia.
With the vision of being a good example for kids and to give them the feeling to be somebody he motivates them and teaches children to skate.
The community includes boys and girls between the ages of 6 and 19 in the Intoto area of Addis Ababa. Many of the kids are hawking in the city day by day and are slipping through the cracks in the system.
Ethioskate uses skateboarding as a tool for empowering youth, to create new opportunities and to be the potential for change.
Isreal hopes to grow a sustainable organisation that is recognized locally and globally for changing the lives of youth through skateboarding.
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