What we do

Sports for Hope and Independence (SHI) is privileged to have the opportunity to conduct a session to share our work and thoughts about Human Rights in Disability Sports, girls empowerment through sports, sports for underprivileged people,  Mainstreaming transgender people through sports in Bangladesh at 19th Human Rights Summer School organised by “South Asian Excellence In Legal Education Award 2018” winner Empowerment Through Law of the Common People (ELCOP) . 42 students representing  Bangladesh, India and Nepal from 18 well-reputed Universities participating 2weeks intensive summer school program.

The session covers the following session

1. Understanding Disability and Disability Sports
2. Current Situation of disability sports in Bangladesh
3. Disability acts in Bangladesh and abroad
4. Girls rights to play
5. Current situation of girls play in Bangladesh
6. ways of empowering girls through sports
7. how sports can change underprivileged people life
8. Mainstreaming transgender people through sports and  its social barriers                                                                                                                                  

Football is more than just a fun, popular, international sport. football plays a role in international development by funding global education, effecting positive social change and producing renewable energy.

According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, there are around 40 million children in the country between the age of 5 and 17 years. 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 addiction. (Source: 1st October 2016. Dhaka Tribune )

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) trying to do good through football. SHI is conducting once a week football training camp for an underprivileged community at Jatrabari, Dhaka to teach positive life skills of life through the football program. Thank you once again, Mr. Chowdhury Shahabuddin Ahmed, for his generous financial support to make this happen.

Bangladesh is a  riverine country. About 700 rivers including tributaries flow through the country constituting a waterway of total length around 24,140 kilometres (15,000 miles). We have very limited resources for the person with disabilities to participate in sports activities at the rural Communities. Sports for Hope and Independence (SHI) is aiming to use local rivers and pond as the resource of continuous swimming practice. SHI is very proud to start up swimming training for the person with the physical disability at Ekoratia, Bajitpur, Kishoreganj.

Shi believes swimming is particularly valuable for people with disabilities since the water allows them to move without assistance, an important discovery and experience for anyone with a disability.  Individuals with disabilities can get more health benefits by being physically active. Although everyone is unique, people with disabilities are limited in opportunities to be as physically active as people without a disability.

By just dedicating about three hours every week for swimming, a person with the disability could drastically reduce your chances of secondary health conditions. People who swim have a better chance of improving their health when compared to people who are inactive.

Sports for Hope and Independence (SHI) believe sports is the easiest way to empower girls. Sports and physical activity have multiple, far-reaching effects that last into adulthood. Sports play a critical role in girls’ development and provide valuable skills to help girls become successful in all facets of life. Girls who play sports are more likely to make better grades, score higher on standardized tests and graduate from high school. In addition, they report much lower rates of drug use, high-risk sexual behaviour and pregnancy and they have higher body confidence and self-esteem.

Physical activity and football is great fun, an important part of play and learning, and essential for healthy growth and development. but Lack of Physical activities is one of major concern for urban children and youth in Bangladesh. According to the Society of Health and Physical Educations, Children and adolescents should do 60 minutes (1 hour) or more of physical activity each day. Sports for Hope and Independence (SHI) has started running once a week football program in Anwara Mannaf Girls’ School And College with 273 participants started on 11th August 2018.

Sports for Hope and Independence (SHI) conducted a Disability sports workshop named by ” Para-sports workshop” at Government Physical education college, Dhaka on 7th August 2018. Seventy-one Bachelor in Physical Education (B.P.Ed) student participated in the workshop. Pappu L. Modak conducted the training.

The aim of this workshop was to raise awareness on Para sports. Moreover, These B.P.Ed students will work as sports teacher or sports officer in the school, college, Upa Zilla Sports office and District Sports Association in future. If they have knowledge on para-sports, it will easier to maximize participation nationally to identify talented para-athletes.

The workshop covers the following topics;

1. Type of disability sports
2. History Of Para- Sports
3. Recruitment of athletes 
4. Classification
5. Benefits of para-sports for the disabled person
6. Coaching techniques
7. How to use local resources 

8. Inclusion through sports
9. A case study of two Spinal Cord Injured people (One athlete, one non-athlete).

The workshop was very successful, and the participants all agreed that they will be able to use their new skills in their communities and the workplace.

Sports for Hope and Independence (SHI) led Rugby conditioning camp in Betaga, Bagerhat on 5-12 May was made possible by funding from Chowdhury Shahabuddin Ahmed, S.M Abul Hossain and Gandhimahal Restaurant, Minnesota, USA. 5 players from Malumghat, Cox’s Bazar, 2 from Patrokhola Tea garden, 11 Players from Betaga Bagerhat participated in this highly intensive training. The conditioning camp was aiming to check the progress of the players from different places and teach advance Rugby and Fitness skills to get prepared for the upcoming national championship. 33 girls also participated in this training. It was very intensive theoretical and practical camp. This highly interactive Rugby camp was run by Mr Abdul Karim. The camp was focused on several key components of performance individual skills, understand position, unit work and understanding defence strategies, awareness of strength and conditioning. On the last day of the camp, there was a rugby competition for girls and boys.

 Ogrojatra Table tennis school located in Betaga, Bagerhat. It is only of it’s kind in Bangladesh because this school is run by a wheelchair user. SHI started this initiative in October 2017 to showcase the society that inclusion of disabled person is not that difficult if you empower their skills. A spinal cord injury forced  Mehedi Hasan to stay in a wheelchair for his daily activities. SHI empower him by providing training now he is working as a coach of this school with 59 students and among them, 3 junior table tennis player from his school got selected to represent Bagerhat District and participate in the grassroots table tennis talent hunt competition at Khulna BKSP. Three of them respectively placed 10, 11, 12 position in the national Talent Identification project 2018 and participating in one-month long table tennis conditioning camp. This School also gives him the opportunity to practice regularly to keep his dream alive to represent Bangladesh in International events.

Sports for Hope and independence (SHI) observed International Day on Sports for Development and Peace(IDSDP) on 6th April 2018. SHI raise awareness of IDSDP among the student of Betaga Ideal Girls school, Rotnapalong high school and Rotnapalong primary school. Beside this SHI organised a Peace Cup football Championship in Balukhali refugees camp for Rohingya Refugee Children.

According to World vision research, about 150000 Rohingya children are severely depressed. Sports has known for the stress reliever. Sports for Hope and Independence (SHI) run two months long sports program at Balukhali refugee camp from 17/02/2018-18/04/2018 to provide opportunities for children to get physically and psychologically fit. 388 children learn positives values of life, self-care, self-esteem improvement physical education and activity through football and dodgeball program. According to Rohingya children, they have more friends in different blocks now though sports program and they feel they are a part of their society.

Sports for Hope and Independence (SHI) had received 23 letters from Minnesota School Children for Rohingya Children after completing a sports program at the refugee camp. SHI representatives visited Uttorayan School at Balukhali Refugees camp on 27^th January 2018 to handover support letters from Minnesota school. The letters were translated into their language. Rohingya children express their feelings through painting and writing notes in English to the support group. SHI arranged to send these letters to Minnesota school.