Young people with no place to practice on cracked concrete now have a hub for creativity and growth
Across more than a hundred days and 5,500 kilometers of African road, California skateboarder Jason Vanporppal completed a continent-spanning journey from Kampala to Cape Town, raising $35,000 alongside Ugandan partners to build a dedicated skatepark for young people who have long practiced their craft on cracked and borrowed ground. The expedition, born from a friendship with the founders of the Kampala Skateboard Initiative, reflects a quiet but persistent truth: that infrastructure is not merely concrete and steel, but the physical expression of a community's belief in its own youth. What moves here is not just a skateboarder, but the ancient human impulse to cross distances — literal and cultural — in order to build something that outlasts the journey.
- Young skaters in Kampala have been honing their craft on cracked pavement with no dedicated space, a gap that grows more urgent as Uganda's skate scene expands faster than its infrastructure.
- Vanporppal and his Ugandan partners pushed through seven countries over 100-plus days, enduring worn-out gear, 12-hour skating days, and rough roads to keep the campaign alive and visible.
- Communities along the route — from Rwandan skate crews to South African schoolchildren in towns like Beaufort West — were drawn into the momentum, turning a fundraising expedition into a rolling demonstration of collective possibility.
- With $35,000 raised and donations still open through the Always Pushing Foundation, the funds flow directly to construction materials, local labor, and equipment — keeping the project rooted in Kampala rather than imported from outside it.
Jason Vanporppal arrived in Cape Town in late May after more than 100 days on a skateboard, having covered 5,500 kilometers through Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and South Africa. The destination was always concrete: $35,000 raised to build a skatepark in Kampala, Uganda, where young skaters currently make do on worn streets with no space of their own.
Vanporppal is no stranger to long-distance skating — he has crossed America in 76 days and Japan in 50, putting hundreds of boards into the hands of kids along the way. But this journey took shape differently, crystallizing after he met Isaac Jojinah and Ephraim Ssekiziyiv, the founders of the Kampala Skateboard Initiative. What he encountered was a skate scene full of energy but starved of infrastructure, and a community-driven organization already working to change that.
Founded in 2022, KSI has built inclusive spaces for young Ugandans regardless of gender, background, or ability — opening pathways to cultural exchange and opportunity that would otherwise remain out of reach. The scene was growing; the physical infrastructure had not kept pace.
The three set off together from Kampala on February 8, 2026. Along the route, they connected with skate communities, visited schools, and passed through towns where their arrival drew crowds of young people eager to be part of something larger. The physical toll was real — worn shoes, replaced parts, days stretching to 12 hours of skating — but the momentum held.
Every dollar raised goes directly to construction materials, local labor, and skate gear in Uganda. The skatepark will be built by and for the community — not an imported solution, but a hub for creativity and connection rooted in Kampala itself.
Jason Vanporppal rolled into Cape Town in late May after more than 100 days on a skateboard. Behind him lay 5,500 kilometers of African road—Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, South Africa—and ahead of him, a concrete goal: $35,000 raised to build a skatepark in Kampala, Uganda, where young people currently practice on cracked pavement and worn streets with no dedicated space to call their own.
The California skateboarder is not new to this kind of journey. He has crossed America from Venice Beach to Times Square in 76 days, and Japan from Hokkaido to Okinawa in 50 days. Those expeditions put over 500 complete skateboards into the hands of kids who had none and raised more than $30,000. But Africa felt different. The idea crystallized after Vanporppal met Isaac Jojinah and Ephraim Ssekiziyiv, two Ugandan skaters who had founded the Kampala Skateboard Initiative in 2022. What he saw on the ground—a thriving but infrastructure-starved skate scene—convinced him that something larger was required.
The Kampala Skateboard Initiative itself is a community-driven organization built on a simple premise: young Ugandans deserve a space to learn, express themselves, and connect to networks beyond their immediate surroundings. Since its founding, KSI has welcomed skaters regardless of gender, background, or ability, introducing the sport to communities where it barely existed and opening doors to cultural exchange and career opportunities that would otherwise remain closed. The organization recognized that Uganda's skate scene was growing fast, but the physical infrastructure had not kept pace.
On February 8, 2026, Vanporppal set off from Kampala alongside Jojinah and Ssekiziyiv. The route pushed south through seven African countries. Along the way, they were hosted by skate communities in Rwanda, connected with entrepreneurs in Tanzania, and visited schools to spend time with local children. The physical toll was real: they replaced bearings and trucks, wore through multiple pairs of shoes, and endured rough road conditions and days that stretched to 12 hours of continuous skating. In South Africa, their passage through towns like Beaufort West turned otherwise quiet villages into scenes of young people eager to be part of something larger than themselves.
Every dollar raised goes directly toward construction materials, local labor, and skate gear for the community in Uganda. The campaign runs through the Always Pushing Foundation's GoFundMe page, and donations of any size move the project forward. What began as a friendship between a California skateboarder and two Ugandan activists has become a demonstration of how grassroots energy, combined with international reach, can mobilize resources for youth infrastructure in places where such spaces remain scarce. The skatepark itself will be built by and for the community—designed not as an imported solution but as a hub for creativity, growth, and connection rooted in Kampala itself.
Citas Notables
The goal is simple: raise enough so that the young people of Uganda have a safe, fun, and dedicated place to skate— Project mission statement
Every contribution goes directly toward construction materials, local labour, and skate gear for the community in Uganda— Always Pushing Foundation campaign
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why did this particular journey feel different from the ones he'd done before?
Because he wasn't just raising money for gear anymore. He'd seen the actual ground—the cracked concrete, the kids with no place to practice. He met Isaac and Ephraim and understood that Uganda needed infrastructure, not just donations of equipment.
What made the Kampala Skateboard Initiative different from other youth programs?
It started from inside the community. Isaac and Ephraim weren't importing skateboarding culture from outside; they were building something for their own people, and they welcomed everyone equally. That's what caught Jason's attention.
How hard was the physical journey itself?
Over 100 days, 5,500 kilometers. They were skating 12 hours some days, replacing bearings and trucks constantly, wearing through shoes. It wasn't a casual trip—it was a test of commitment.
Did the journey itself become part of the fundraising?
Absolutely. In South Africa especially, towns like Beaufort West turned out. Young people saw what was happening and wanted to be part of it. The journey became visible proof that this mattered.
What happens now with the money?
It goes directly to materials, local labor, and equipment. The skatepark gets built by Kampala residents, for Kampala residents. It's not something imposed from outside.