Ethiopia’s Female Skater - Interview with Sosina Challa
In 2016, Make Life Skate Life constructed Addis Skatepark in Addis Ababa together with Ethiopia Skate. The country’s first skatepark marked the beginning of a new era for skateboarding in Ethiopia. We caught up with local skater Sosina who was part of the Addis Skatepark build crew and also helped build Ethiopia’s second skatepark in Hawassa. This interview got us really stoked and we can’t wait to have Sosina as part of a future Make Life Skate Life build crew.
© Tessa Fox
Please tell us a bit about yourself. Did you grow up in Addis Ababa? What do you do beside skating and building?
My full name is Sosina Challa. I was born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. I’m a medical student finishing my degree this year. I’m also working with my partner Micky on a new skateboarding brand which will be the first in Ethiopia and we named it DESTA which means happy in Amharic, Ethiopia’s main language. You can find it on instagram @destaskateboards
How did you start skateboarding?
I started skateboarding when I was in high school. Next to my high school there is a big parking lot known as Sarbet Square located around the old airport in Addis Ababa. After school, me and my friends used to go to the parking lot, where people play football, ride bikes, and sit down to watch. I saw these guys skating and pictured myself doing it. I would always imagine myself on a skateboard and tell myself ‘what if I can do that trick, what if I fall?’. It was my last semester and one day after school I decided to give it a try so I asked one of the skaters to show me how to skate and I tried. It was fun for 50 seconds until my first slam. I got up and took another two falls. I went home realizing my school uniform was ripped, but at the same time this piece of wood gave me the motivation to continue. Since that day I never missed a skate session.
© Ethiopia Skate
You were part of our Addis Skatepark building crew since day one and the only local female on the construction site getting her hands dirty everyday. What motivated you to help during the build?
For me it was life changing to be the first Ethiopian female skater to help build a concrete skatepark. I was excited to learn to work with concrete, motivate girls, and get my hands dirty. At the same time I was motivated to help because there was lots of struggle skating at the parking-lot. With Addis Skatepark, we built a home for all skaters.
Since the build in 2016, Ethiopia Skate organized two renovation-runs of Addis Skatepark. How did that go?
Renovation went well, we did a lot of work though. We had to build drainage for the low part of the park, also fixing major and minor cracks, adding more space around the deck, and making a new fence. The second time we fixed small cracks and made some changes around the stairs. It was fun for me to work on the park.
Were you also part of the Hawassa build crew? Can you tell us a bit about that build?
Hawasa is 280 km from Addis Ababa and we were a 20 people crew working on a bigger park with a completely new skate scene. We built the park behind schedule because it was hard getting people to help build, but other than that it was an overwhelming experience creating a skatepark for a new skate scene in Ethiopia.
© Ethiopia Skate
How much has the skate scene changed since you started skating? What role do you think the skateparks have played in this development?
Before the Addis Skatepark 25 kids or less we’re skating at the lot. After the skatepark everything changed and the youth got more interested in skateboarding. The park is full of skaters practicing everyday. That’s when we realized that there’s a shortage of skateboards and started a skateboard manufacturing company where we make boards and sell, donate, support the community, and also give free lessons to girls that are interested in skateboarding for free.
What’s next for you and Ethiopia Skate?
Ethiopia Skate is helping the skate community as usual, building parks and raising donations to help skaters. I also started a project teaching girls how to skate for free and to get more girl skaters involved in the skate scene.
