From the streets to the field: A sports academy that lets street children dream big
The main goal of the sports academy is to transform street children into professional footballers. And with that goal in mind, they are being coached by a foreign and a local coach, and even have access to a physiotherapist
Golap's arrival at the Paltan Outer Field of Bangabandhu Football Stadium caused a stir. Sure, he had two boots on, but both were made for the right foot. Yet when he started training, his enthusiasm overcame everything.
He paired the baggy green jersey of the Street Children Sports Academy with the pair of boots he had bought from a shop in Gulistan Sports Market for Tk10 he had earned begging.
Golap is only eight. Like many other street children, his days are spent on the dusty streets of Gulistan. His father is not in the picture and his mother has to beg to support his four siblings.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
Everything from waking up in the morning, eating, running around with his peers, playing, and studying at Pother Ishkul, a volunteer development organisation, to sleeping at night happens on the streets of Gulistan.
Golap and the others used to play on the footpaths and alleyways with a crumpled old football or a wrapped piece of cloth. So, when Pother Ishkul told them about the opportunity to play football in their sports academy project, they did not hesitate to enrol.
One child named Jisan started walking to Gulistan all the way from Hatirjheel just to play football.
'Street school'
In 2015, the volunteer organisation Pother Ishkul (street school) began working to ensure the basic rights of street children. Although they started small, their goal was to improve the lives of street children with a more personal touch.
In recent years, they have collaborated with various organisations, including Rotary clubs and Lions clubs. With limited resources but a persistent attitude, they have so far provided employment and rehabilitation for 21 street children.
Pother Ishkul has established an unconventional way of educating street children — without books or notebooks, but with blackboards and various forms of presentations.
Classes are conducted six days a week near the Bangabandhu Stadium in Gulistan. At the same time, a regular meal is provided, the money for which comes from the pockets of volunteers and personal donations.
The head of the organisation, Sakir Ibrahim Mati, spoke about some of the challenges of working with street children. "The life experiences and environment of street children are different, and confining them with books and notebooks in a traditional classroom is not practical. These things are not very appealing to them.
"Therefore, through chalkboards, different forms of presentations, and their active participation, we provide them with informal education. However, sometimes they lose interest in this as well because a life of drugs and crime is more alluring," he added.
Taking their interests into consideration, Pother Ishkul decided to open a sports academy. To be admitted to the sports academy, children must meet the following conditions: they must not use drugs, they must not be involved in any crime, and they must attend classes regularly.
Within just two months, positive changes have been observed in the children of the sports academy. Whereas before they had to be sought out to attend classes, now they arrive before the appointed time every day to play. They have also developed a sense of discipline and have become more focused on their studies. The academy also monitors them for drug use and criminal activity.
Inside the sports academy
Pother Ishkul's plan for the Bangladesh Street Children Sports Academy is long-term and far-reaching. Their first initiative is football for boys. They will launch a self-defence project for female street children this year. In the future, they also plan to add sports like cricket or kabaddi.
The training period for the first cohort of football students is one and a half years. This period is divided into three phases of six months each.
In the first phase, players will be trained six days a week. During this time, their progress will be measured by several indicators. Their performance will be measured by more than 15 indicators, such as how disciplined they have become since the start of training, how focused they have become in their studies, their academic results, and how well they can speak English. In addition, their sports performance will also be monitored.
In the second phase, residential training will be arranged. During this time, they will receive more intensive football training under the supervision of expert coaches. At the same time, training will be arranged for using computers or various vocational skills. During this time, it will be observed in which areas they are skilled other than football.
In the third phase, residential dorms will be arranged and institutional education will be arranged. They will also receive advanced training in the area where they demonstrated natural talent in the second phase. The goal of this is to ensure that they have the skills to earn a living, even if they do not become professional footballers.
However, the main goal of the sports academy is to transform everyone into a professional footballer. And with that goal in mind, they are being coached by a foreign and a local coach.
In addition, a physiotherapist has been engaged to provide treatment in case of injuries during football matches or as a fitness consultant, a counsellor to keep them away from drugs and crime, and a sports counsellor to provide advice on sports.
All of them are volunteers, working tirelessly to turn the street children's dream of becoming players into reality; giving the street children a healthy and normal life.
Tom Wyckert, a US citizen who has been playing football for 30 years, works for a Dhaka-based organisation. He regularly comes to Gulistan to train the children.
"Initially, the children lacked teamwork. Everyone wanted to perform alone. Gradually, they are learning that team success is more important than individual skill in football. And this is not only in football but all aspects of life," said Wyckert.
Mati said that the ultimate goal of the plan is to create a full-fledged sports academy, which will ensure the permanent rehabilitation of street children.
The trainees have already developed confidence. They believe that they can return to normal life if they want. They think earning money legally through football is possible. Mati believes that this positive change in the mindset of street children is a significant achievement.
A belief that one must be proficient in speaking English to become a footballer in the future has also been instilled among the young footballers at the sports academy. As a result, they are able to carry on a general conversation with their foreign coach.
Mati feels that they have mastered what many ordinary students cannot do, even after 12 years of formal education, in just two months.
Beneficiaries happy despite critics' doubts
Mati said that on top of the challenges of working with street children, there were also some pressures from the surrounding environment.
The education programme of Pother Ishkul did not face as many obstacles as the work of the sports academy. From buying jerseys to training on the field, they often hear people's taunts or insults.
"Ordinary people think that we are just wasting labour, time and money on street children. 'They will spend this money on drugs,' 'They will never return to the right path,' 'There is no benefit in this training' - we hear these kinds of things almost every day," said Mati.
In fact, many people tried to obstruct the training arrangement for street children at Paltan Outer Ground.
However, the families of street children are quite optimistic about this. Mati said, "earlier, the parents of these children themselves used to prevent them from coming to study. They used to put them to work, begging. But after hearing the sports academy plan, they are also becoming hopeful about their children. They think that these children will be able to earn a living by taking up training."
The families of street children are also happy that they are being given the opportunity to return to a healthy and normal life without drugs. A street child named Maksuda said, "my parents died when I was young. I live on the street with my brother, Ramzan. A while back, he started taking drugs and dendrite (shoe glue) due to bad company. He couldn't quit, even after trying a lot. But after entering the football academy, he gave up all such habits.
