We are one, lets do it together football programme

According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, there are around 40 million children in the country between the ages of five and 17. Among them, around 1.3 million children are engaged in hazardous jobs, 70% of whom are also involved in criminal activities due to poverty. According to the Department of Narcotics Control, nearly 550,000 children are addicted to drugs, and around 30% of them are engaged in criminal activities to fuel their addiction¹.

Sports engage people, foster teamwork, release endorphins and teach young people important life lessons about hard work, dedication and relying on others. Perhaps more importantly, sports like football help to keep kids off the streets and away from drugs and violence.

Sports for Hope and Independence (SHI) aim to do good through football. SHI is conducting a football training camponce a week for an underprivileged community at Jatrabari, Dhaka to teach positive life skills through the football programme. SHi is trying to create a safe meeting space to learn positive values, respect, friendship, integrity and peacebuilding. Thank you once again to Mr. Chowdhury Shahabuddin Ahmed, for his generous financial support to make this happen.

• Visit the SHI website to read the orignal article

[This article has been edited by the Operating Team.]

_{¹Source: 1st October 2016. Dhaka Tribune}