When you think of the ideal places to skateboard, modern skate parks, halfpipes or squares in front of large shopping centers come to mind. The streets of Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa are probably not at the top of the list. But this is exactly where a young, motivated and active skate community has formed in recent years. Addisu Hailemichael and Abenezer Temesgen founded the “Ethiopia Skate” project in 2012. In the beginning, they had just seven skateboards – some of which they built themselves from wooden boards and furniture castors – and 25 children and young people who wanted to learn how to skate. Within a short space of time, the movement has grown immensely.

With the help of social networks, the initiative has now made a name for itself far beyond Ethiopia’s borders. Ethiopia Skate has now become a real movement. The international skate community has become aware of the group and supports them in realizing their plans. This is how the Berlin photographer Daniel Reiter became aware of the group. Since then, he has been documenting the development of Ethiopia Skate and supporting the children and young people with skate equipment.