John Wroe, BEM, founder and CEO of Street Child United (SCU), is dedicated to uplifting one million one street children around the world and to provide them a decent life with their right to have identity, protection from violence, gender equality, and access to education.
Recently, talking to Qatar Tribune during a special screening of the much-acclaimed film ‘I Am Somebody’ at the Hamilton International School Doha, he said, “I am so pleased to be back with my friends at Hamilton International School Doha, reliving the magic of the Street Child World Cup when the whole school – pupils, staff, and parents alike – went beyond to welcome SCU teams and support them throughout the tournament.”
He said, “To share with them ‘I am Somebody’ documentary is quite special, as they can see the full impact they helped create in the lives of the young people they so kindly welcomed back in 2022.”
Wroe said that SCU uses the power of sport and arts to challenge the negative perceptions and treatment of millions of street children across the world. “Over two decades of experience in the not for profit sector has enabled Street Child United into a world class organization,” he noted.
The charity is widely known for its flagship initiative ‘The Street Child World Cup’, an international football tournament uniting teams of street children from across the world to play football and call for their rights to be realised.
He said that to access their rights irrespective of their background, ISP advocates key priorities, which are challenging negative perceptions – right to identity; right to protection from violence; and the right to education.
Wroe and his family’s attachment with the sport of football can be seen as he has been following Swansea City Soccer game for the last 49 years, and seen them play at 46 different grounds.
Terry Senior, Principal of Hamilton International School, said on the occasion of the special screening of ‘I Am Somebody’, that “by screening this inspiring documentary film at our school, we reaffirm our core commitment to the community, through promoting the wellbeing of underprivileged children around the world”.
He added: “We have the power to change the narrative by offering these children equal opportunities to live a life of dignity. At the Hamilton International School, we strongly believe that every child is born with a spark and deserves the right environment and opportunities to thrive and realise their potential.”
Senior said that through these interactive sessions, “we are able to provide access to our students to watch and interact with inspiring role models who can teach them the values of resilience and perseverance”.
Hamilton International School is a member of The ISP’s vision, to be the leading international schools’ group in quality and scale for families across diverse communities. ISP Schools champion a transformative approach to learning that goes beyond the classroom. By igniting curiosity and growing their self-confidence, students are empowered to become the next generation of changemakers. The Hamilton International School and the Park House English School in Doha, one of the oldest schools in Qatar, are reflective of these values by being part of ISP.
‘I Am Somebody’ is produced by two-time Academy Award winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. The movie tells the story of six inspirational young people, Aya from Palestine; Drika and Jesmin from Brazil; Sahil from Pakistan; and Yasmin from Bangladesh, and their journey to the Street Child World Cup Qatar 2022.
The movie, which features football icon David Beckham in a guest appearance, demonstrates the power of football to ignite hope and positively impact the lives of young people.
The charity’s flagship initiative is the Street Child World Cup, an international football tournament and congress for street-connected children, which kicks off-ahead of each FIFA World Cup.
The first Street Child World Cup took place in South Africa 2010. There has subsequently been Street Child World Cups in Brazil (2014) and Moscow (2018). In 2019, the first Street Child Cricket World Cup was hosted in London and Cambridge ahead of the ICC World Cup and the recent one was held in Doha in 2022. A total of 24 teams of street-connected young people came together from all around the world, proudly representing their country, demonstrating their potential and calling for their rights.
