Bangladesh Street Child Cricket Team win against England in quarter final

Anser Ahmed Ullah
Contributing Editor, Shottobani

London: Four boys and four girls who, until recently, were surviving on the streets of Dhaka have taken part in the Street Child Cricket Tournament 2023. After winning against England, they reached the semi-finals, where they lost to Uganda, who went on to win the overall tournament.

The children representing Bangladesh in the Street Child Cricket World Cup played against other teams from Sri Lanka, South Africa, Burundi, and Mauritius. They came top in their group during the first stage of the competition.

During the tournament, the children from Bangladesh raised their voices in the Children’s Congress, organised at the same time as the tournament. They demanded a safe place to sleep for those who are homeless, rules against child labour, and equality and respect for all children.  People should not talk down to children on the street who often have no alternative but to wear dirty clothes.

The children taking part in the tournament all now live at a long-term Peace Home for children who were surviving on the streets. The Home is run by the Local Education and Economic Development (LEEDO), an organisation that has been working with children on the streets of Dhaka since 2010.  LEEDO also provide outreach work and education on the streets and a transitional shelter that supports children’s rehabilitation, making long-term arrangements for their care.

UK charity Friends of Street Children, Bangladesh, have raised funds to support the participation of children from LEEDO Peace Home in the Street Child Cricket World Cup. During the tournament, Friends of Street Children Bangladesh aim to raise more funds for LEEDO’s education and outreach work with children at the ferry terminal and the station in Dhaka.

The cricket tournament is being organised by Street Child United. They arrange international sporting events where street children from around the world take part. They aim to change people’s negative perceptions of street children, inspiring a brighter, safer future for street-connected children everywhere.