New Program – Mountain Bike Afghanistan

Humanitarian Social Innovations is proud to announce the newest member of our social impact family: Mountain Bike Afghanistan.

Mission

Mountain Bike Afghanistan (MTB Afghanistan) is a program focused on “empowering Afghan youth with the joy of riding and competing on mountain bikes, as well as connecting people across borders and cultures through their shared love of the outdoors and the sport of biking.”

From Afghanistan to America

The program was founded in 2016 by Farid Noori. Farid came to the U.S. as an exchange student and soon fell in love with mountain biking. He saw riders in New Mexico and later in Vermont, and wondered why this sport wasn’t popular in the beautiful mountains of Afghanistan. The geography of his homeland seemed natural for mountain biking. Farid wanted to turn his love of the sport into a way to help the Afghan people and as a result reshape the world’s perception of his country.

Goals

MTB Afghanistan plans to assemble an Afghan team for the world stage and inspire other Afghans. It will promote environmental awareness, community trail building initiatives, group rides, and hiking trips. Therefore, these opportunities will give people a chance to forget about the war and share moments of peace and fun with each other.

Farid also hopes that this program will change people’s idea of the country. Many people’s understanding of the country comes from war coverage, which can paint an inaccurate picture.

Farid is working to become the first Afghan mountain biker to compete in the Olympics. Doing so will bring more attention to his organization and help achieve his goals.

The Wakhan Corridor. Photo by Aya Okawa

Collaboration

Humanitarian Social Innovations is consulting with Farid as he builds MTB Afghanistan, and will help the organization to access tax-exempt funds so he can maximize its impact.

You can learn more about Mountain Bike Afghanistan here.

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Connect with Mountain Bike Afghanistan on social media.