A new crowdfunding campaign on GoFundMe has been launched to help rebuild the skatepark run by Uganda Skateboard Society after it was demolished earlier this year.
The skatepark had been the main gathering place for the Uganda Skateboard Society community for years.
Built from the ground up by local skaters and volunteers, it grew into a space where young people could learn, practice, and spend time together in a safe and open environment.
The project was created on private land, and after the property was sold, the new owner removed the skate structures to make way for commercial development.
That loss left the community without its central meeting place, but work toward rebuilding has already started.
With support from Thrasher Magazine and Adidas Skateboarding, the Uganda Skateboard Society has secured a new parcel of land.
This time, the land is fully owned by the organization, which means the next build will not face the same risk of being removed.
Plans are now in motion for a new skatepark designed to serve local skaters for the long term.
The project brings together the Uganda Skateboard Society with Wonders Around the World, a nonprofit that has helped construct more than 20 concrete skateparks internationally, and Salad Days of Skateboarding, a California-based nonprofit that works with local leaders to support skate access and youth programs.
Uganda Skateboard Society itself has been active since 2011, offering free skateboarding lessons and equipment to young people in Mukono and Kampala.
Their work focuses on giving local youth a consistent place to learn and spend time, with skating as one of the tools for community development.
Both partner organizations involved in the rebuild operate on a volunteer basis, and the campaign states that all donations will go directly toward building the new skatepark.
The goal is to restore a dedicated space where the community can continue to grow and skate without interruption.
The new project now depends on the support gathered through the crowdfunding effort, as the team begins work on creating a long term home for skaters in Uganda.
Donate now here.