Ten Palestinian girls' football team members who participated in the Street Child World Cup 2022 in Qatar are to have their education supported through a grant by Qatar Foundation.
The announcement was made at an event hosted by Qatar Foundation (QF) – which partnered with Street Child United for last year’s tournament – to highlight the impact of the Street Child World Cup 2022, 100 days after the event. Under this commitment, nine young female footballers will receive support to continue their education in their home country, while one – Aya Habayeb – will receive education and coaching in Qatar.
"The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 has provided valuable opportunities to promote the values of respect, cultural diversity, tolerance, and social inclusion for all," said Abeer Al-Khalifa, President of QF's Pre-University Education.
"The Street Child World Cup, held as part of the activities accompanying the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, reaffirmed Qatar Foundation’s commitment to education and reflected its continuous endeavors to promote education within and beyond Qatar. This is based on its firm belief that education is a right for every person, whoever and wherever they are, in fulfilment of human rights charters that emphasize the importance of providing educational opportunities for all and achieving the principles of equality.”
“Through this event, we had the opportunity to meet the participating Palestinian team, consisting of 10 girls. We have listened carefully to the challenges that female students in Palestine still face, and expressed our readiness to make additional efforts to overcome them.
“We are happy that this meeting has resulted in the launch of a special initiative to provide them with support and help them complete their educational path. This initiative helps to create a stimulating environment where their full potential and abilities can be unleashed. We believe these girls can achieve excellence and prove their ability to succeed when they have an educational environment that is focused on meeting their needs.”
The event also recognized young leaders who participated in the Street Child World Cup and the legacy projects they created intending to make a lasting impact on society.
Speaking at the event, Habayeb said:
"I am very proud that I have received this support along with my fellow team members in Palestine, and that I will be able to represent Palestine here in Qatar – I will work hard to make the most out of this experience and to develop my skills and support my country and my people.
"We are very excited to embark on this journey. We live under difficult circumstances in a refugee camp in Palestine, and we face challenges to get education. We are looking forward to achieving all our dreams and to giving back to Palestine, and I hope that I will be able to become a professional player in order to help my family and younger sister, who suffers from cancer”.
John Wroe, co-founder and CEO of Street Child United, said:
"The reason I'm confident to speak about the impact of the 2022 Street Child World Cup 100 days after the event is because so much of the legacy was created ahead of the event – that was possible because we were working closely with our partners at Qatar Foundation.
"I am confident that, with your support, they [the children Street Child United supports] will change the world. It will make this world a fair and just world, where they can fully participate in society, because at Street Child United we believe that no child anywhere in the world should have to live anymore on the street, and that all children deserve a future free from fear, free from abuse, and free from neglect".
The Street Child World Cup 2022 brought together 28 teams from 25 different countries who participated in a World Cup-style football tournament and gave young people who face significant adversity living in street situations a platform to put forward their demands for a more equal and fair existence.
Source and cover image credit: Qatar Foundation Press Release
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