British High Commissioner hosts Bangladesh Team before the Street Child Cricket World Cup 2023 in Chennai

 

 

On Wednesday 30 August, British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke hosted a

send-off event for the cricket team which will shortly represent Bangladesh in the Street

Child Cricket World Cup in Chennai.

The team is comprised of children who were all rescued from a life on the streets, and now

live at the LEEDO Peace Home in Dhaka.

LEEDO (Local Education and Economic Development Organisation) is a not-for-profit,

voluntary-based development organisation founded in 2000. Through the provision of

education, shelters, and lifestyle support, LEEDO aims to protect vulnerable street children

and help them return to the mainstream community.

During the event, the young guests shared their experience on the street, and appealed to

guests to help improve the life chances of other less fortunate children.

The children were thrilled to meet star cricketer Tamim Iqbal, who attended the event to

encourage the young cricketers. They showed off their cricketing skills to Tamim Iqbal and

the British High Commissioner.

British High Commissioner Sarah Cooke said:

“Ensuring 12 years of quality education for all children is at the centre of the UK’s drive to

tackle poverty, promote gender equality, boost economic growth, and reduce conflict. In

Bangladesh, we are investing up to £54.5 million over eight years to improve education

outcomes for children, with a particular focus on girls. I wholly believe that sport is integral to

a child’s education, and today we are proud to host the LEEDO cricket team that will be

representing Bangladesh on the international stage. I wish them the best of luck for the

competition.”

Forhad Hossain, Executive Director of LEEDO said:

“We are incredibly proud of the journey these remarkable children have undertaken, from the

challenging streets to becoming skilled cricketers representing Bangladesh on an

international platform. Their participation in the Street Child Cricket World Cup is a testament

to their resilience and the transformative power of support and education. We extend our

heartfelt gratitude to the British High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Sarah Cooke, for hosting

the send-off event that will encourage the team for the journey ahead. The inspiration from

the respected guests as well as the sponsors will make them more confident to raise the

voice globally to ensure the identity and access for the street connected children in

Bangladesh.”