WeSkateMongu101 – Lukaba Hande Skatepark

An Intro to WeSkateMongu101

The following is a post on behalf of a really good friend (good friends are only good friends until they meet. Then they become great friends.), Johnny Kalenga of WeSkateMongu101. WeSkateMongu101 is an initiative based in Mongu, which is the capital of Zambia in Africa.

When it comes to who I chose to roll with, I am very calculated and cautious. In fact, overly calculated (not in a bad way) and cautious.

However, there are just some individuals where you just know.

Johnny’s positivity, energy, love, commitment, and grit are what brought Mongu its first skatepark. I can honestly say I am not prouder of anyone else in skateboarding right now more than I am of Johnny.

As I have said before, I will always fight for the underdogs; the ones that have no business to be where there are in life due to circumstance.

In the end, fame, riches, or success won’t matter. It all comes down to who you are as a human, and in my mind, as an individual.

Johnny is one of those individuals that impacted true change in his community. I plan to do much of the same!

I can’t explain the feeling of beginning to live the dream and seeing someone else do the same. I don’t know when, but when I visit Africa, the first place I’m going to Lukaba Hande Skatepark in Mongu.

By the way, Lukaba Hande means “We will be alright.”

And you know what? I think that the skate community of Mongu, Zambia are gonna be just fine!

Lastly, I gotta give additional cred where it belongs. Wonders Around the World played a gigantic role in this and should not go unnoticed.

I plan to write an article on them or do a Q&A with them in time. If they’re interested, of course, but from who I communicated with and the type of cause they run – building skateparks in less fortunate countries – it’s enough to think they are good people and would be willing.

P.S. Johnny, free website whenever you’re ready. Keep shredding on the board and at life!

And now, I pass it over to Johnny:

WeSkateMongu101 – Lukaba Hande Skatepark

After weeks of working day and night finally, this super team of amazing human beings brought this project to life.

We would like to give a huge thank you to each and every individual who has worked so hard on this project since the beginning.

It was all a dream.

All a dream of a 16-year-old boy and they made it come to life and proved that dreams come true.

Determination and persistence made this happen, it didn’t happen overnight, we’ve been waiting for this since 2016 and we were very certain and always believed that it would all come true one day.

From wooden skateboards to 100s of skateboard donations the skate community is honestly amazing.

We all have something that we believe so much that no matter what we are told we don’t give up on it and keep the fire burning from the get-go.

If you want it bad enough, you can make it happen. When skateboarding started in Mongu everyone took it for a joke and now it’s representing the country to some extent, every big thing starts small.

Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

This space won’t just be used for skateboarding but for other recreational activities that don’t have a home in Mongu, it’s a space dedicated to everyone who doesn’t belong.

Skateboarding accepts everyone as they are, it has no uniform, no gender, or preference everyone is welcome to this way of life.

Thank you to everyone who did believe you made this happen we love you all.