Photo: Ollie B. Tikare
In a refugee camp in Lebanon, cricket is helping Syrian and Palestinian teenagers to overcome terrible experiences. Not widely played in their home countries, the sport provides a blank canvas – an opportunity for joy and possibility. A nonprofit organization called Alsama is running schools for refugee children in Lebanon, a place where many in the NGO community have abandoned. Girls in the refugee schools are hungry for education and opportunities. The sport of cricket is delivering as an outlet for girls to pursue excellence and grow their confidence. Since it is a noncontact sport, girls can play alongside boys, and they do; Alsama’s schools are roughly 50% girl cricket players and 50% male. “I love hitting the ball really hard. When I hit a six, I feel like I’m achieving my dreams. It’s like I’m expressing my aim in life. The ball goes all the way – and so can I,” said Ola al-Khalaf, one of the school’s female cricket players.
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