Your friends are fundraising. Don't miss out, opt in.

We did it!

Jasmin Akter raised £1,003 from 38 supporters

or

Start your own crowdfunding page

Closed 31/12/2020

0%
£1,003
raised of £1,300 target by 38 supporters

    Weʼve raised £1,003 to purchase football and cricket essentials for the Rohingya Refugees that are living in Bangladesh refugee camps

    Funded on Thursday, 31st December 2020

    Don't have time to donate right now?

    Story

    Rohingya refugees children urgently need Your Help....

    As most of you are aware of the current situations of the Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh, with a population of having millions of victims of murder, rape, assault and many more atrocities. Why? Just because of their legal identities and who they are. These millions of people, who are living in the camps are still extremely traumatised after witnessing all the atrocities in Myanmar.

    My name is Jasmin Akter and i am 19 years old. I have recently completed my A* levels in Bradford College and hoping to start University this September. I will be exploring Marketing at the University of Bradford.

    I am a former Rohingya refugee from Bangladesh and I have spent almost a decade in destitute poverty because of my true identity.

    I would now like to share a short story of a teenage girl who was once a Rohingya refugee, who has spent 8 years of her life in the destitute poverty at the rohingya refugee camp known as Nayapara Camp along with her ancestors. She was an extremely talented and passionate young lady, who believed that sport is made for people like her. She feels as though she has come to this wonderful world to play her role in the sport industry. But, little did she know that there is a world beyond the camp, because ever since she was born, she was like a prisoner who spent almost half of her life at the camp and always believed that there is no world beyond the camps. For her, when she was living at the camp, that camp was her world.

    She was one of those unluckiest millions of children who did not have access to:

    Education

    Proper food (lentils and rice)

    Clean water

    Human right

    Right to play

    Privacy

    Freedom

    Despite being so good at playing sports, she was never given any form of opportunities or facilities which could have encouraged her to take up sport as a career. She has always loved football and cricket. She was such an die-hard fan of these two sports, who loved every bit about it, whether it's to play or watch. However, there was no one who genuinely cared about her and her passion. She was never given any form of facilities to continue to live her life the way she wanted to do. She was so unfortunate that she could not even afford a pair of shoes/trainers to play sport despite being a sports woman, she played as much as she could without any equipment or kits. For her, anything that mattered in her life was to be given an opportunity to play. She could not live a single second without playing sports, but unfortunately, at the camp, due to the fact that there were no facilities, she got hurt every time she tried to play sports. But for her that pain was nothing compared to her love for playing sports. When she was living at the camp, how she used to play cricket was with a stick (tree branches) and a tennis ball if lucky, if not then with a stone.

    Then luckily in 2009, due to the greatness of the United Nation, she and her family gained access to the United Kingdom and got resettlement. Her life changed drastically within a few years. She started to receive the attention that a talented sports woman should have been getting and started to receive opportunities such as scholarships and to join professional clubs, she took it and she rose above expectations. She has shocked the entire world & created havoc in society. It was astonishing to see how much of an impact this former refugee is making despite her past.

    From being denied human right to having an identity

    From being known as no one to being known as “somebody”

    From being known as a burden to representing an hosted country in a street cricket world cup

    A list of the her achievement/recognition in 2019::

    She has captained Team England at the Street Child cricket World Cup

    She has given an speech on Gender Equality at the House of Parliament

    She became a Young Leader with an organisation called Street Children United to advocate for gender equality and why it is important to be given lifetime opportunity.

    She has traveled to the United states of America, France and Spain to share her story and to coach how to play cricket and football.

    She was then listed in the BBC’s 100 most inspirational women in the world.

    She won the sportswoman of the year award

    She won the Unsung Heroine in women's sports

    She won an award called inspiration to the community award

    She even had trials with Yorkshire Cricket County team

    Many other recognition …..

    This young lady is none other than Jasmin Akter and that was the story of my life

    ----------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------

    Last December, I visited the camp in Bangladesh, after many years. I have spent 4 weeks at the Nayapara Refugee camp to spend some time with the people that are living there. I have more than 10 families who are still living at the camp. I have visited a few schools to find out their conditions. From doing this, it helped me understand the life of a person, living at the camp more in depth than what it shows in the news. By this I mean, when I was talking to a few children at the school and at a mosque, one boy called Robi mentioned that “ if you have a look at the camp properly, you will see that there are a lot of gangs that have been formed. There are a lot of people including children that are doing drugs, gamble and all sorts because they have nothing to do at the camp when they are free, so they choose the alternative for time pass.

    Saiful, who also lives at the camp, also said that “ I love to play sports and there are even football and cricket teams that are formed but there is no one to sponsor us with appropriate kits, equipment and facilities. It is really expensive for us to afford all the essentials to play sports. If there is anyone who can provide us this then they can change the format of how the camp is working now. It could save thousands of children from doing drugs. Through sport, they will become better people and will stay away from doing all the bad things.”

    What I intend to do:

    By talking to the young people at the Rohingya Refugee camp last December, I have come to a conclusion that I want to do something for the Rohingya Refugees in Bangladesh. I want to provide as many young people as possible with sport essentials, which includes football and cricket essentials. This is something I have always wanted to do ever since I was a child because I have personally spent almost half of my life and I can relate back my life to all of them passionate people in Bangladesh who are living at the camps like some kind of prisoners. Whilst living at the camp, they are forgetting that they are still humans as they are burying their dreams of playing sport with their own hands as they know they cannot afford the basic essentials that are required to play.

    On my last visit to Bangladesh Refugee Camps. I have seen many young talented footballers and cricketers. I myself belong in this sport field and I have understood their passion for the desired sport. When i spoke to majority of the people they have stated that due to the fact that they have nothing to do inside the camp in their free time, there are a lot of gangs that have formed and there are a lot of people including children who are doing drugs as they believe that's the best thing to do in their free time. They have also said that “if we (children) are being looked after then the future of the Rohingya refugees will be much brighter. Just because we are refugees does not mean we are a burden to any hosted country because if we are also given opportunities then we could change the way people look at refugees and make everyone proud too by our dedication and talent. How will anyone know what potential we have until we are given an opportunity? We did not become refugees by our own will then why are we being treated so differently? Why are we being labelled?

    I strongly believe if i am able to arrange the followings, the life of an young person will change drastically through playing sport:

    Football boots

    Football

    Sponsor kits

    Cricket Equipment such as Bats, Balls, Pads, Helmet and Wickets

    By providing these in the camps, the benefit could be that we could prevent thousands of people from doing drugs and from joining gangs that are benign formed. Second benefit could be that through the power of sport, they can be treated as human;maybe then they will be able to send their voice across and express their feelings through playing sport. If I, Jasmin Akter who once was a refugee can be at the platform where she is now due to the opportunities she got, then there are thousands of people at the Camp who can do the same because of their talent, dedication and love for sport. If the following which has been mentioned above is provided to them, then theory can forget their sorrows and all the atrocities they have faced because sport does have that power to change someone's emotions. Lets not forget, almost all of the refugees, who are living in the camp have lost at least one of their family members during the genocide. There are children's who are orphans living at the camp and very unfortunate that they cannot even afford any clothes to wear as they are not even 1% financially stable.

    I am hoping to go to Bangladesh personally and provide the unfortunate refugees with food and sport essentials once everything settles down in this pandemic crisis. i need all of you to donate as much as you an as it will make a difference to these child.

    Updates

    0

    Jasmin Akter

    Updates appear here

      4 years ago

      Jasmin Akter started crowdfunding

      Leave a message of support

      Page last updated on: 12/30/2020 16.22

      Supporters

      38

      • Anonymous

        Anonymous

        Dec 30, 2020

        £15.00

      • Anonymous

        Anonymous

        Oct 28, 2020

        All the best and well done you .

      • Itrat

        Itrat

        Oct 27, 2020

        Good luck jazz 🥰

        £10.00

      • Emma

        Emma

        Oct 27, 2020

        Hope your visit goes well & you raise lots of funds for such a worthy cause

        £10.00

      • Devika

        Devika

        Sep 15, 2020

        What a wonderful initiative! I hope you reach your goal!

        £20.00

      • Tree House Care

        Tree House Care

        Sep 7, 2020

        £200.00

      • Anonymous

        Anonymous

        Sep 6, 2020

      What is crowdfunding?

      Crowdfunding is a new type of fundraising where you can raise funds for your own personal cause, even if you're not a registered charity.

      The page owner is responsible for the distribution of funds raised.

      Great people make things happen

      Do you know anyone in need or maybe want to help a local community cause?

      Create you own page and donʼt let that cause go unfunded!

      About Crowdfunding
      About the fundraiser
      Jasmin Akter

      Jasmin Akter

      Report this Page