Bangladesh charity join Homeless World Cup network
|Bangladeshi organisation, Sports for Hope and Independence joined the Homeless World Cup Network in July 2022. Image: Sports for Hope and Independence
The Homeless World Cup are delighted to welcome Bangladeshi charity, Sports for Hope and Independence (SHI) to our global network. It is the first time Bangladesh will be able to compete at the Homeless World Cup.
SHI is a social organisation founded in 2016 which focuses on development in local communities across the country, including in capital city Dhaka as well as in Moulvi Bazar, Hobiganj, Gopalganj, Bagerhat and Satkhira.
They use football to address different social issues such as child marriage, gender equality, youth development, climate action and economic development.
In Dhaka, in 2017 seven out of 10 households were living in unstable and insecure housing.
Sports for Hope and Independence work mainly with underprivileged communities, supporting people in rural areas, those living in slums, as well as street children and tribal communities.
CEO and founder of Sports for Hope and Independence, Sharmin Farhana said: “We are super excited to be part of Homeless World Cup network. We are hopeful that through the guidance of the Homeless World Cup Foundation and learning from its’ network members, we will able transform Bangladeshi Homeless peoples lives into better lives by using football."
Sports for Hope and Independence join 70+ grassroots organisations which represent their country at the Homeless World Cup. They all directly work with people who are homeless or socially marginalised, using football as a key engagement tool.
Homeless World Cup International Partnerships Manager, Zoe Hopkins said: “We’re thrilled to have another partner from Asia join the Homeless World Cup Network, bringing our total to 14 countries from this region. SHI is a dynamic organisation that aligns strongly with our values of using sport for social development. A very warm welcome to our newest family member!”
Background to SHI’s work in Bangladesh
According to the World Bank, in 2022 12.5% of people in Bangladesh were living in extreme poverty.
Bangladesh is currently the 8th most populated country in the world with 165.6 million people calling the South Asian country home (2022).
To meet current housing needs, in 2019 the World Bank said Bangladesh would need to build at least 8.5 million houses to tackle the housing shortage.
In addition to housing shortages, Bangladesh also hosts almost a million refugees who fled persecution in Myanmar.