Bringing Socceroo magic to the camps of Cox’s Bazar
Former Socceroos player, Craig Foster, plays with adolescent boys who attend an AHP-funded Multipurpose Child & Adolescent Centre in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. Photo: Save the Children
Above: Rohingya refugee turned advocate, Noor Azizah, speaks with adolescent girls who attend an AHP-supported Multipurpose Child & Adolescent Centre in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. Photo: Save the Children
Eight years ago, hundreds of thousands of Rohingya people fled their homeland. Families arrived in Bangladesh with almost nothing, seeking safety in the sprawling refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar. Today, nearly one million people – half of them children – remain living there in the world’s largest refugee camp.
From the beginning, Save the Children has been delivering life-saving services with the support of the Australian Government through the Australian Humanitarian Partnership, including creating safe spaces for children to learn, play and heal. One of these safe havens is the Multipurpose Child and Adolescent Centre.
In June 2025, one of the centres welcomed former Socceroo captain and human rights advocate Craig Foster, along with Noor Azizah, a Rohingya refugee herself and vocal advocate for the plight of her people, and Dr Graham Thom from the Refugee Council of Australia.
They came to see first-hand how the Centre is helping young people to build skills, confidence and resilience.
Former Australian soccer player, Craig Foster, and Rohingya refugee turned advocate, Noor Azizah, visit an AHP-supported Multipurpose Child & Adolescent Centre in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. Photo: Save the Children
Craig took some time out to play soccer with the children, who enthusiastically joined in, kicking thrilling goals into the small makeshift nets.
“Sport plays a critical role in places like Cox’s Bazar, where people, especially young people have few opportunities and little control over their futures,” he said.
“It builds physical and mental health, brings communities together across ethnic lines, and provides a platform for education, skills training, and personal development. We can, and must, do more to give refugee children a chance to grow, thrive and hope.”
Inside the Centre, the visitors met adolescent girls engaged in learning and creative activities. The girls spoke candidly about the skills they are building and the joy they find in the centre, and were particularly excited to meet Noor.
“Even though I’ve never lived in the camps, Cox’s Bazar is close to my heart,” Noor said. “It’s where hundreds of thousands of my people sought safety after fleeing the same violence my family escaped.”
Zannat* and Zohora*, both 12, are two girls who regularly attend the Multipurpose Child and Adolescent Centre where they love to do art and learn skills that will serve them in the future. The Centre offers education, life skills training and psychosocial support, providing a safe space where young people can imagine a future beyond displacement.
“Rohingya refugees’ needs are as urgent today as they were eight years ago, if not more urgent in the world we are living in today,” said Save the Children Australia CEO Mat Tinkler.
“With the concerning global shift towards cutting life-saving aid programs, the situation on the ground in places like Cox’s Bazar is becoming more precarious – and programs like these even more critical.”
*Names changed