Future Hope is a charitable organisation, which provides opportunity through its homes, school and programmes for some of the most vulnerable children from the streets and slums of Kolkata, India. The SOL Foundation assists with the implementation of a sport programme, so Future Hope can run teams in rugby, rowing, football or cricket and provide access to other sports such as athletics, hockey, netball, volleyball or swimming.

Problem to be tackled

In contrast to life on the streets where personal survival is the driving force and each child has to look out for him or herself, playing sport helps the children to learn trust, teamwork, self-discipline, determination and self-confidence. These are all skills that enable the children to adapt and thrive in the Future Hope community and also prepare them for later life.

The Beneficiaries are Kolkata’s street children, 60% males, 40% females and 5 – 19 years old.

While some street children are orphans the majority have been driven from their homes by abuse, family breakdown and extreme poverty. Others are the by-products of the sex industry, turned out onto the streets while their mothers work, and yet more have been trafficked from other parts of India to be forced into labour and prostitution. Some children enjoy the freedom life on the streets can offer and may even earn reasonable money scouring arriving trains, sorting rubbish or becoming expert petty thieves, but they remain vulnerable to victimisation, exploitation and abuse, and are exposed to extremely unhygienic conditions.

With the support from The SOL Foundation, Future Hope will be able to run and implement an annual sport programme with Cricket, Rugby, Football or Rowing, Extra-Curricular Activities, the School Athletic Meet as well as the provision of equipment.

Annotation: the co-operation has started in 2016.

Future Hope is a charitable organisation, established 1987, which provides opportunity through its homes, school, sports and medical programme for the most vulnerable children from the streets, slums and red-light areas of Kolkata, India.

Future Hope addresses the individual needs of these children and helps them to become independent, self-supporting members of society. The Methodology outlines the distinctive contribution that Future Hope makes to give the children the best possible lives and opportunity.