The Story

After three decades of civil war, Angola today enjoys relative stability. Yet with a median age of 16.7 years and with 74.4% of children deprived across at least 3 out of 7 dimensions, the generational impacts of the conflict are unmistakable. This is a nation of youth. Moreover, it is a country of deep-rooted inequality and corruption, a predicament fuelled by oil wealth and weak political institutions.

Perhaps nowhere are these two sets of circumstances better illustrated than in downtown Luanda, the country’s capital. Here, against the backdrop of gleaming skyscrapers and a Miami-like shoreline, dozens of youth from the suburbs gather daily. To skate.

In response to local demands for a park, the 750 sqm Luanda Skatepark was built in the end of 2018 by some 30 international and local volunteers. It was completed in partnership with Angola Skateboarding Union, which today oversees youth programming at the park. It is the first and only skatepark in the country.