Three skateboarders are on a mission to build Africa’s biggest skatepark for the kids.
Cape Town, South Africa (13 April 2026) – Jason, Isaac, and Ephraim want to build Uganda’s first permanent skatepark together. To raise the funds, they’re skating there from the capital of Uganda to Cape Town, over 5900km on the road!
Their GoFundMe campaign is sitting at $8,757 (R145, 073) of a $20,000 (R331, 331) goal. They’re getting there, now on day 64 of their journey across Africa on boards.
Skateboarding in Uganda is on the rise. More young people are getting into it, communities are embracing it, and a culture is taking root. The problem is infrastructure, or the lack of it. Right now, kids are skating on cracked pavements and rough streets, using worn-down gear, with no dedicated space to call their own. They’re making it work with what they have.
The trio’s ambitious plan is to establish Africa’s biggest skatepark, built with and for the local community.
Isaac and Ephraim started the Kampala Skateboard Initiative in 2022. In the years since, they’ve introduced skateboarding to parts of Uganda where it had never existed, and in doing so have given hundreds of kids access to the sport and built a community that’s open to everyone from any background and any skill level.
Ephraim first heard about skating through Isaac, his classmate who’d been given a toy board by his father. They ended up at Makerere University, found a hill, and Ephraim’s first move was to sit on the board and roll down it. Standing came later, after a few falls. He’s been skating for seven years now.
Isaac, who has been skating for five years now, says that skating has given him much more than the freedom of cruising on a board.
“Skateboarding taught me resilience, falling, getting back up, and never giving up and it also gave me a community that feels like family.” he says. “For me, skating is more than just tricks; it’s about expression, leadership, and creating opportunities for others. My dream is to see skateboarding in Uganda and Africa grow with safe spaces, mentorship, and international connections so the next generation can thrive.”
Jason, the American on the team, is a veteran at using his board for good. He has skated across the US from Venice Beach to Times Square in 76 days, and across Japan in 50. Those trips raised over $30,000, which went toward donating more than 500 complete skateboards to kids who didn’t have any.
Skateboarding tends to get undersold. In truth, it’s one of the more effective ways to keep young people engaged, give them something to work toward, and build real confidence that comes from trying something hard, failing repeatedly, and eventually landing it. It also creates community. Kids show up, skate, and feel like they’re a part of something cool.
This opens so many doors for children without many options or spaces of their own. The Kampala Skateboard Initiative has already connected so many young people to mentorship, opportunities, and networks they wouldn’t have reached otherwise. A permanent skatepark makes all of that more reliable and extends the road even further for Uganda’s next generation of skaters.
Kindness has met the trio along the road to Cape Town, strangers have opened their doors to host them, drivers have stopped or hooted to cheer them on, police have escorted them through more dangerous stretches, and people generally understand why their support means something.
Both Jason and Emphraim share regular updates about the journey from the road, if you’d like to follow and tag along. Support can be shared by contributing toward their campaign here. All donations go directly to construction materials, local labour, and skate gear.
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