PSG, KLABU join hands for Rohingya children

As part of a multi-year project, the Paris Saint-Germain Endowment Fund, the charitable arm of the preeminent sport club in France, and KLABU, a Dutch social start-up that provides access to sport in refugee camps, in partnership with Bangladeshi NGO Friendship, aim to build a sports Club Centre for the Rohingya refugees in Cox's Bazar by this autumn. 

"Today, more than 80 million people have been forced to flee their homes globally, of whom almost half are children. The Paris Saint-Germain Endowment Fund and KLABU invite the world to connect with refugees through the universal spirit of sport and the celebration of human potential. The project, which has now been in the works for almost two years, aims to unlock the power and joy of sport through community-driven projects, which will be kicked off at the single largest refugee camp in the world at Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. The initial goal is to reach 10,000 refugee and host community children, and their family members," read a press release issued jointly by the partners involved in the project.

They also plan to deliver an innovative mobile sports library solution that will widen the reach across refugee camps and share the power and joy of sport with the larger community.

They will provide for the social work by making jerseys and other sports equipment for the whole world. Initially, 10,000 refugees will be assisted through this project.

"The Club Centres, managed by the local community, work as sport libraries, providing access to sport kits and equipment. Children can participate in training sessions and tournaments, watch sport matches together, and enjoy gaming and online connectivity. In short: the Centres are safe spaces where young people and their family members can develop physically and emotionally, by finding relief from their hardships and pleasure in the practice of sport," added the press release.

The project is being supported by the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. 

Following this first phase at Cox's Bazar, KLABU, the Paris Saint-Germain Endowment Fund and UNHCR will work to potentially expand into other parts of the world.