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. 

Online youth sport leadership  courses delivered by YST International expert trainers has supported young male and female Syrian refugees aged 14-18 years living in Beirut, Lebanon to progress to become junior cricket coaches themselves.  Weekly sessions focussed on a range of topics including effective communication, being an inspirational role model, safe use of space and equipment and how to adapt activities to suit different levels of ability.  Undaunted by challenges such as frequent breaks in electricity supply, loss of internet connection and translation from English to Arabic, all the young people took part with enthusiasm and quickly developed coaching, mentoring, entrepreneurial and leadership skills.  Living in a camp where access to education is limited, boys face child labour and girls early marriage, they have truly become Young Changemakers, changing long held attitudes in their community, advocating for better opportunities for girls and supporting social cohesion.  

There is now a thriving cricket programme run by Alsama Cricket, which supports over 400 players in 10 hubs across Lebanon, providing weekly sessions, enabling competition to take place and links to be formed with the outside world.  It is one of many programmes organised by the Alsama Project based in Shatila Refugee Camp, which educates refugee children and empowers refugee women, offering them new horizons.  Alsama means ‘sky’ in Arabic

With your help Youth Sport Trust International will expand our support for Alsama Cricket and improve the lives of more young refugees through sport. THANK YOU