Scoring against the odds

And here we are on a rainy Thursday afternoon in Dhaka! The T&T playground in Korail is more mud than grass. The field is slippery, shoes and socks are soaked through, but the game is on!

Two teams of girls are at the centre line, ready to kick off. The crowd is gathering, eyes wide, this is no ordinary match. In a sport still largely dominated by boys, the girls are here to take over.                                                                 

Keep an eye on 17-year-old Shymuli! She’s got her eyes locked on the ball, racing past waterlogged patches, sprinting forward with determination, following the coach’s instructions.

Just a few years ago, Shymuli’s world looked very different.

Shymuli used to work as a domestic helper, cleaning homes and scrubbing dishes. Her father sells chola boot (chickpeas) for a living, her mother is a homemaker, and she has three younger siblings. To support her family of six financially, she was carrying responsibilities far heavier than her age should allow. Football was a far-fetched dream, until one day someone knocked on their door.

UNICEF/UNI838838/Rasnat Community Mobilizer Nasima in conversation with Shymuli‘s parents at their home.

That someone was Nasima, or as Shymuli lovingly calls her, apa, which means sister in Bangla. Nasima is a community mobilizer trained and supported by UNICEF under the Sports for Development (S4D) programme. She patiently sat with Shymuli’s parents, explaining why their daughter deserved more than chores and marriage proposals. Why education, sports, and life-skills training weren’t luxuries but necessities.

It took some convincing, but her parents finally came around. Today, Shymuli goes to school during the day and trains on the field after class. Her mother, Murshida, is happy that her daughter is getting these opportunities. Murshida was married at 12 and denied education due to poverty. She wants her children to have the opportunities she never had.

“At first, I was worried about what society would say,” says Murshida. “Now that I see my daughter doing well, their opinions no longer matter to me. She is not doing anything wrong. If other girls can play, why not my daughter?”

UNICEF/UNI838847/Rasnat Shymuli with her parents and siblings.

Still, challenges remain. Social norms do not allow Shymuli to leave her house wearing her football jersey. So, she dresses in everyday clothes and wears the jersey once she reaches the field.

Through UNICEF’s S4D programme–launched with the Ministry of Youth and Sports in 2022–Shymuli has gained far more than football skills. This initiative creates safe spaces where girls and boys not only learn to play football, volleyball, kabaddi, along with surfing, skateboarding, and self-defense, but they also learn about the harms of child marriage, child labour and abuse. It encourages them to question and challenge these harmful social norms that hold them back.

At the heart of the programme are community mobilizers like Nasima, who identify vulnerable households and go door-to-door convincing parents to give their children a chance. By December 2024, S4D has already reached over 13 million people, including children, parents, and community members, across 37 sites in Bangladesh.

UNICEF/UNI838859/Rasnat Shymuli and her teammates pose for a photo after a football match in TnT playground, Korail.

Thanks to generous support from King Salman Humanitarian Aid & Relief Centre, dreams are becoming reality in communities where they were once unimaginable. Shymuli has gained courage. Confidence. And she has learned how to stand up not just for herself but also for others.

When her friend Tanjina, 18, faced physical abuse and neglect at home, Shymuli intervened. Tanjina’s mother had remarried, and her current husband didn’t want Tanjina to live with them. As things escalated, Shymuli was accidentally struck by Tanjina’s mother. But she didn’t back down. First, she offered Tanjina shelter in her own home despite her family’s own struggles. Then, she went back to face Tanjina’s mother again. Through patience and reasoning, Shymuli helped her mother understand that no child deserves violence.

It was not easy. But this was her first experience of leadership. The kind that changes lives.

For Nasima, who played an important role in this transformation, stories like this bring hope. “Convincing parents isn’t the hardest part,” she says. “The challenge is changing the mindset. When I ask parents to send their girls for training, they often say that their daughters can play in the courtyard, as they are concerned about people speaking negatively of them. No, they need to be out on the open field, with the team, like everyone else. That’s how change happens.”

And change is happening. Shymuli’s father, who was initially considering a marriage proposal for her, now attends some of her football matches, cheering proudly from the audience.

“I explained that Shymuli was too young, her body and mind were still developing, and it was not the right time for marriage. Eventually, her parents agreed,” says Nasima. 

UNICEF/UNI838856/Rasnat Shymuli and her team pose for a photo after a football match in TnT playground, Korail.

As the match in Korail ends with a penalty shootout, Shymuli’s team loses the match. Yet, she hugs the winning side, still smiling. Tomorrow will bring another game, another chance. For now, she dreams of wearing the national jersey one day, just like her favourite player Messi does for Argentina. Neymar is her second favourite, though she jokes, “I can’t support him. I’m loyal to Argentina!”

 Until then, she will keep training, chasing footballs and her dreams. UNICEF will stand right beside her, making sure girls like her never stop dreaming.

And perhaps one day, the same muddy shoes that raced across Korail’s slippery field will carry her to victory under the bright lights of a national stadium.