Empowering multicultural young people through sport

There’s nothing quite like watching how playing sport can bring a smile to a young person’s face. I was lucky enough this week to witness several of these smiles on the faces of children from migrant and refugee backgrounds as they took part in a cricket skills day led by Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja.

SSI and the Usman Khawaja Foundation attended Woodridge North State School in Queensland to launch a new partnership that aims to empower children and young people from migrant backgrounds through sport. The school is incredibly diverse and judging by the laughter, the energy and the enthusiasm of the kids who took part, I have a feeling this won’t be the last time these young people will be thrilled by cricket!

Cricket has long been an iconic Australian sport and an integral part of our culture, and what better way to get kids to feel like they belong than to learn to play this epic sport. Through the expertise of Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja and his foundation, we hope to increase the sense of belonging and connection to Australian culture through cricket. 

Sport is one of those great equalisers. Usman spoke of his experience when he first arrived in Australia as a young child and even though he was unable to speak English, the way he felt he could connect with other children, was through a shared love of sport. Opportunities like this cricket clinic is usually the first step for a young person to feel seen, heard, valued, and part of the community. For many young newcomers, they are navigating a new country, a new life, a new culture and a new language. So having this chance to take part in sport and culture is an opportunity for them to feel like they are part of something that’s positive for them.

When these young people put on their cricket gear, they can feel like they are part of a team. For many refugee and migrant children, they want to feel connected to the broader community, like they belong, and putting on that green and gold is a good first step.   

We see a strong alignment between SSI and the Usman Khawaja Foundation with our shared vision of empowering youth from refugee and migrant backgrounds to fulfill their aspirations as well as contributing to shape social cohesion in Australia. We also see education and community sports as an important vehicle to enable this. 

This innovative collaboration aims to use sport as a bridge to connection, wellbeing and community inclusion. Through a series of joint cricket clinics across Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, young people will develop skills both on and off the field — fostering resilience, physical and mental wellbeing, and a sense of belonging. 

And beyond that, the partnership will help cultivate youth mentorship programs pairing young people from refugee and migrant backgrounds with positive role models to help promote education and career aspirations. SSI and UKF will also work to establish an innovation hub where refugee-led solutions are found for the unique challenges faced by refugee and migrant communities. 

By combining SSI’s community-based programs with UKF’s leadership in sport-led inclusion, the partnership sets the stage for a new era of youth empowerment and cultural connection — one cricket clinic at a time.

SSI Usman Khawaja Foundation