Sport changing lives for young Syrian refugees

Capacity building and sustainability are two key priorities for Youth Sport Trust International when delivering sport for development interventions overseas.  Our bespoke training courses focus on developing the skills, knowledge and expertise of in-country practitioners and young people themselves.

We are delighted to be supporting Alsama Cricket in Beirut, Lebanon, providing online youth sport leadership training to young Syrian refugees - girls and boys - to develop their coaching skills and expand the cricket programme on offer in the camps.  For children and young people forced to flee their war torn homeland and settle in a strange land in overcrowded refugee camps, cricket has become a welcome escape.  As well as a source of much needed fun and enjoyment, cricket is inspiring so much more - helping children to recover from trauma, grow in confidence and selfbelief and raising their aspirtations for the future.

Such has been the popularity of cricket that there are now 37 thriving cricket teams, Boys and girls play together, that in itself promoting inclusion and helping to change attitudes.  Parents have been persuaded to allow girls to take part in the cricket sessions as they have seen what a diffrence it makes to their lives.

'When I hit the ball, everything bad inside me - the war, all these things I let go of them' says a young female refugee. 'The first time I played, I forgot everything - the rules, instructions, everything.  I just saw new friends, a new life.'

This year we are raising funds to pay for our trainers to visit the camps and work directly with the children and young people there, using the power of sport (cricket) to improve their life chances.  THANK YOU.