National Skateboarding Association
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>View discussions about this entry Country: South Africa
Organization: NSA Skateboarding
Sport - Other
Year the initative began (yyyy) - 2003
Project URL: http://www.nsaskateboarding.co.za
Positioning in the Mosaic of solutions
What is your signature innovation, your new idea, in one sentence? - Starting the skateboarding association for South Africa. But the awesome opportunity’s we have had to grow skateboarding in South Africa. Not just on a sport level but in a community level to. In 2007 we partnered with the local government in Cape Town to build 3 skate parks in previously disadvantaged areas. The last one stands out the most and was the biggest project. We got an old amphitheater that was built by the old apartheid government and became a haven for criminals due to the fact that the area was blocked off by a big sand dune.
We what we did is to dig away half of the sand dune to make it more visible to the main road running behind it. This made it safer for kids to be able to use the park. We then built the park and I am on doing workshops for kids in the area if we can raise Describe your innovation. What makes your idea unique and different than others doing work in the field? - The amazing opportunity we have is to grow kids with a healthy understand of self respect. This is cultivated by skateboarding were its all up to you to grow and become better. In South Africa and Africa we have a rather unique situation. Skateboarding has not got the stigma here as it has in most of the world of being lazy stoner hobby. Allot of the black communities in Africa have never seen skateboards before. So they have a clean slate to start from. We want to roll out more skate parks in communities around South Africa and Africa. Each park we want to set up a little skate shop which is run and owned by the local community. This would make the park a self sustainable project and involve the whole community.
What are the existing barriers, the biggest problem, your innovation is hoping to address/change? - The biggest barrier is funding and expertise.
Delivery Model: How do you implement your innovation and apply it to the challenge/problem you are addressing? - Currently we look to local government for funding. Our organization does not have the funding to get these projects off the ground but we have the necessary expertise to make them happen. After sourcing some kind of budget we would get a piece of land and simple design and build a park. We have not got the funding to build a small shop at a park yet. Other ways we would like to get the development going it to get international companies to donate their b grade product to us to distribute under the underprivileged kids. Part of your workshops we do is not just skateboarding classes. We want to teach kids that anything they set their mind to they can do. No obstacle is big enough if you have your eye on a goal. Then at a stage promote education to grow as a person. AS we run the National ranking system for South Africa we have also seen a few underprivileged kids come through our programs and are now in the top 20 ranked skateboarders in South Africa.
How do you plan to grow your innovation? - Growth is fundamentally the foundation of our vision. We would like to grow & perfect this concept in South Africa and then initiate it in all African countries. The amazing thing about our concept is that we can incorporate a multitude of sports. We have done projects with b-boys and dancing workshops, BMX ect.
Provide one sentence describing your impact/intended impact. - Skateboarding is a life style where each person is the artisan of their own future. And we realize the unique potential that each person on our vast continent
What impact has your innovation had to date/or what is your intended impact? Exactly who are the beneficiaries? - Currently we have been able to affect the greater community of Cape Town. Mainly kids that have benefited from these projects are kids from underprivileged communities.
Please list any other measures reflective of the impact of your innovation? - This field has not been completed
What are the main barriers to creating or achieving your impact? - Funding and certian expertiese
How is your initiative financed (or how do you expect your initiative will be financed)? - Trough a company set up. The start up capital would need to be raised but we intend it to be a self sustainabil projects
If known, provide information on your finances and organization. - Please list: Annual budget, annual revenue generated, size of part-time, full-time and volunteer staff. Currently we have no permanent staff.. Everything we do we do for free.. And we go from one project to another as we raise funding. At the moment Red Bull has been our saving grace.
What is the potential demand for your innovation? - As we have been doing this for 5 years now we have seen a massive growth and we have a major demand that we can’t satisfy
What are the main barriers to financial sustainability? - Lack off skills
What is the origin of this innovation? Tell us your story. - We started the skateboarding association to grow skateboarding in south africa. But working in underprivileged areas we saw the need to help out these kids. We started doing one or two projects a few years ago and now we do more and more ewach year with awesome success.
Please provide a personal bio. Note this may be used in Changemakers marketing material. - My name is Chris Mostert. I am 27 and I was born and raised in Cape Town in a underprivileged area. I have been skateboarding my whole life. Skateboarding has made the person I am today. I paid my school fees from sponsorship money I got and through skateboarding I got a few TV commercials. With the money I got from this I put myself through collogues. This why I have such a passion for skateboarding. I owe my life to skateboarding!
Contact Information:
Chris Mostert
President NSA Skateboarding (Nastional Skateboarding Association of South Africa) Discussions about this entry |
I am a family specialist at EMQ Children and Family services in San Bernardino, California. There are particular clients that have lost everything in their life. Skateboarding is the only thing that they have. I feel that this is a start for them to pursue as a hobby that can get them talking, communicating, and change their behavior. This is something significant in their life that can then be a starting point to open communication with them and from this their behavior will improve because they have something to look forward to, their behavior can become more acceptable among peers and relating to family members. Success from what they enjoy doing can lead to other positive outlets to want to win and succeed transferring this to better grades, a sense of belonging and winnning at something instead of negative behavior and failure.
Please provide me with materials and where I can receive funding/grants in the Inland Empire to facilitate these kids in this sport which is greatly needed for these special needs kids.
Sincerely,
Derek Galloway
Cell Work Phone 909 677-0695 or home 951 413-6575 email egallowayaaa@aol.com
Congratulations on what you've accomplished so far with NSA Skateboarding, Chris. I'm not certain that all of us non-skateboarders regard you as practicing a "lazy, stoner hobby." Still, if we are guilty of that, you've set us straight with what you've accomplished for underprivileged kids in Cape Town. You've lifted the reputation of all skateboarders with your outreach to the least fortunate members of your community, and I wish you much success with your efforts continuing to grow the sport locally.
Steve Byars
Marshall School of Business
University of Southern California