An exhibition featuring the pictures of young skateboarding girls from Kabul continues to attract visitors at Katara Cultural Village.  The photographs were taken by British photographer Jessica Fulfird-Dobson and document both the interest and courage the young Afghan girls show as they play the sport. 
Dressed in traditional Afghani attire, the portraits are a testament to the bravery of these girls living in a conservative society. The exhibition started in July and will continue till October 20. The exhibition has proven to be a crowd puller as the subject matter is unique – skateboarding is not a popular sport in Afghanistan.
The exhibition features more than 50 portraits of the skateboarders and some local handicrafts and has been arranged by Qatar Museums. This is the first time in the Middle East that the pictures are being exhibited. 
“I have read about the exhibition in a newspaper. The subject of the exhibition attracted me as most of the exhibitions are on nature, crafts, tourist sites, and so on. I decided that I would visit the exhibition as soon as I got time. Today I came to Katara especially with my friends to see the exhibition,” said Abdul Manaf, an Indian expatriate living in Qatar.
He added that seeing young Afghan girls doing skateboarding gives an impression that life is returning to normalcy in Kabul. “The photographer is foreigner and has dared to visit Kabul and catch the skate girls, which is also very commendable.”
Lime Martin, a tourist from Canada at the exhibition, said, “The idea is good and the work of the photographer is excellent. All portraits require appreciation. You just have to stand in front of every portrait and admire the young girls with skateboards under their feet or in their hands.” 
She added, “My favorite portrait is one that shows a girl in action. The girl is on skateboard and riding with her shawl flapping on her back.”
Martin added that a friend of her in Qatar told her about the exhibition and she really enjoyed the portraits. “I will also recommend other people to come and see the exquisite work on display here.”
The exhibition also shows a short documentary movie on skateboarding in Kabul. A charity with name of Skateistan is shown busy in teaching the sport and encouraging young people to enjoy it. The documentary also shares necessary details about how the atmosphere is around the skaters in Kabul and how hard it is to convince young girls for the sport.
In her message for the visitors, Jessica has shared her experience in Kabul. She notes, “In late 2012, I read a short article about girls skateboarding in Kabul and wanted to bring the story to wider audience. Next summer I went to Afghanistan to visit the charity Skateistan for three and a half weeks and returned the following May after 2014 elections.
“During my visits, I was inspired by the skate girls’ joyous sense of fun alongside their courage, charisma, and feminine grace. The older girls helped the younger ones to gain skill and confidence.”
She further notes that the skateboarding activity is working in complete harmony with local culture to uplift and empower the girls.