ImmigrationProf Blog

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

One World Play Project Launches Play Together Campaign on World Refugee Day

One World Play Project today launched the Play Together campaign to bring the power of play to refugee youth through donations of One World Futbols. Inspired by refugee children in Darfur, the One World Futbol is an ultra-durable soccer ball that never needs a pump and never goes flat, making it ideal for the rough environments where many refugees live and play. The Play Together campaign kicks off on World Refugee Day and will run through the end of 2017, raising ball donations for refugee youth from around the world who have fled their homes due to war, conflict and other threats. [Watch the campaign video.]

According to statistics from the United Nations High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR), of the nearly 21.3 million refugees worldwide living in exile, more than half are under the age of 18. This number does not include another 44 million men, women, and children displaced inside their own countries. The UN Refugee Agency estimates that refugees are uprooted from their lives for an average of 17 years.

Research shows that play helps individuals recover from trauma and cope with challenging situations while encouraging physical, psychological and social health. Play has the power to bring individuals together—no matter what their country, culture, age or religion. It gives refugee children an opportunity to make friends and build connections not just with other refugees but also with youth from their new communities.

Through One World Play Project’s Play Together campaign, individuals can bring the power of play to refugee youth around the world by simply giving balls to our partner organizations. Go to oneworldplayproject.com/play-together to:

Give Balls: Give an ultra-durable One World Futbol for $25 USD directly to Play Together partner organizations

Buy One, Give One: Get a One World Futbol for $39.50 or $44.50 USD, and One World Play Project will give a second ball to our partners.