Mountain Bike Afghanistan empowers Afghan youth with the joy of riding and competing on mountain bikes, and connects people across borders for their shared love of cycling.
Our goals
Show the world Afghanistan's spectacular landscape
Afghanistan is home to some of the world's tallest mountains. Its spectacular landscape is perfect for outdoor sports and adventure tourism. Mt. Noshaq in Badakhshan province is 24,580 feet tall. But this crucial fact is hardly known, as popular media have overwhelmingly focused on reporting war.
We use our passion for the mountain bike not only to explore our country, but to introduce its stunning mountains to the world and change its image from a war-torn nation to a place with great potential for adventure. |
Make Afghans proud
We have a radical belief: Afghanistan can become the next cycling powerhouse. Our country has the perfect environment for producing world class cyclists. More than half of Afghanistan is above 6,500 feet, and a significant portion of our people live at elevations of 8,000 ft. and above. It does not take much to discover and develop the talent. What's great is that the passion for cycling is already deeply rooted among the youth. We are stepping in to provide the wheels for them to shine.
When that happens, can you imagine how much it will move the entire nation? We use cycling to inspire and make our people proud. |
Women's empowerment & gender equality
The bike is the most empowering and effective tool for achieving personal freedom. On a bike, you pedal and you go forward--without anyone's help. Women's cycling have come a long way in the past decade, and it needs many more milestones before it can be widely accepted. But that is what bikes can enable: a catalyst for large-scale change to break down social norms that have hold Afghan women back. We are committed to support the Afghan women's 'Right to Ride' movement. |
Get more people outside, and promote environmental awareness
The conflict has turned us into strangers in our own land. Afghans can hardly venture out to travel and see the vast natural wonders our country offers. The bike is our way of getting more people outside and reconnecting them to a land many consider a forgotten cause. In our Afghanistan, people enjoy the land rather than escaping from it.
We also take this as a unique opportunity to teach and promote the value of preserving the environment to a growing population of outdoor enthusiasts. |