Sport for Life! Pakistan
This project's parent organization is Sport for Life! International
It operates in Pakistan
It uses Cricket
Entered the Best New Project
More about Sport for Life! Pakistan
The Sport for Life! programme is based on education centres – with a high level of IT – which we establish at the principal cricket stadiums in Pakistan. The first opened in Mirpur in March 2010. Rawalpindi opens in June 2010, with eight further centres planned over the next two years, including Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar. Children (boys and girls) from poor backgrounds undertake training in maths, languages, IT and citizenship, along with cricket coaching. The issue which we are addressing is that 6.8 million Pakistani children are not in primary school and 70% don’t attend secondary school. Of those who do, many suffer from schools which are severely under-resourced.
By providing education and cricket facilities, we supplement their education and provide them with a positive outlook on life. This is particularly important in a society which is subject to extremely negative influences from Taliban and other extremist groups. Our experience over the past twelve years in the UK with The Prince’s Trust and in the Caribbean through Sport for Life!, has demonstrated how sport motivates children who are disadvantaged and often disruptive into more positive behavioural patterns. By using the stadiums, we make use of underutilised facilities which have iconic importance to children.