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Express Tribune
a day ago
- Sport
- Express Tribune
Help the IDPs of Bajaur: Noorena shams
Sports have the power to heal, and that is what squash player Noorena Shams is proving it; not just on the court, but also outside of it. 'It is after 17 years that I am hearing this term, Internally Displaced People (IDPs ), being a child growing up in Balambat Timergara, Dir,' Noorena told The Express Tribune from Peshawar. 'I know what they are going through is because I have seen what it means to live through the 2009 operation in Dir. 'I understand that these people will never get the life they had back, they will not get their houses back, nothing will be the same for them. Raising the voice on this is to make people pay attention to the ongoing crisis.' The international squash player is teaming up with Lal Zaman, who works for the sports for development organization Right to Play, to help the IDPs gathering at the border of her village in Dir, fleeing from the conflict in Bajaur, as the Pakistan Army operation is taking place in Mamund, a district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. So far, she has distributed aid directly to at least 1600 people, providing essentials such as food and medicines, with around Rs 850,000 collected through her platform. But her goal is to highlight the plight of the IDPs, who are not only losing their homes because of the Taliban activity and Army operation in Bajaur, but are now fighting for their survival because of the floods wreaking havoc in the KPK too. 'So basically I am trying to help the IDP, who are victims of the conflict in Mamund, area in Bajaur,' explained Noorena. 'Lal Zaman and I are not from Bajaur; of course, we are from Jandhool, Dir. But we have all these people coming to the border of our village, and we must do something about helping them. 'I support the Pakistan Army and the operation is necessary, but there are all these innocent people who are affected in ways many Pakistanis are failing to understand.' Noorena is coordinating with Lal Zaman, who is on the ground and managing the operations of the relief efforts. 'There are 1600+ people we daily feed who are based in government schools in Qazafi Uthmainkhail Tehsail on borderline of Lower Dir and Bajaur. 'It is food evening and morning. They have been hit with floods and monsoon rains as well. The problem is that aid doesn't come their way, mostly because of the conflict I believe. 'Other areas, such as Buner, Swat, and around, have teams going there, but perhaps the security situation has scared people off from this side. Until now, we have fed 1600+ people for a week twice a day, and every penny has gone to them. It includes medicines as well. On the ground, I have my village mate Lal Zaman, who works at Right to Play.' Noorena feels that mostly, the sports community has been mostly effective in spreading the message and highlighting the issue. 'For me, as someone who is coming from a war-torn area, sports became an instrument for me to build my life,' said Noorena. Photo courtesy: Noorena Shams Reliving the trauma Noorena is conscientious about her work and believes that the focus should be on the situation that the IDPs are facing. She recounted her own experience that connects her to the ongoing crises faced by people in Bajaur 'My house is in Balambat Timergara, right next to Dir Scouts. The place used to fire towards Bajaur, Swat, and Maidan (within in Dir). My own friends told me stories of them leaving their homes in Maidan and climbing hills and mountains to go to the addas to get cars,' she recalled. 'I empathise with the IDPs of Bajaur because I know what it feels like to be in the middle of the conflict. 'In 2009, when the operation began in Dir, I remember we were just so fascinated by all the artillery that was deployed in front of our eyes, and then the fighting between the Pakistan Army and the Talibans. 'My mother had decided that she would stay in our house even though most of the people from our area left their homes and went elsewhere, as she was a widow and her mindset was that it was better to die in our home than to be displaced and mistreated. It was a decision she took, and we as siblings were too young to even understand that we could all die. My mother was very brave; she was so strong in an impossible situation. If she had left our house, we would have been in the same position as the IDPs from Bajaur. 'For nine months, our schools were closed, but at least we had food to eat, we started to grow things on our land, and things were still better than what the IDPs from Bajaur are going through. 'I remember my younger brother, who was four years old back then, only learned how to count beyond 50 because of the explosions we would hear. 'So this cause is very close to my heart; it should be close to the hearts of all the Pakistanis.'
North Wales Live
12-06-2025
- General
- North Wales Live
Top 30 playground games from marbles to British Bulldog
A poll of 2,000 adults has unveiled the enduring popularity of traditional children's games, with classics like marbles, British Bulldog, conkers and 'What's the Time, Mr Wolf?' making the top 10 list. The study revealed that over half of the adults surveyed played outdoor games daily during their school years. Other beloved playground pastimes included football cards, yo-yos, 'Cat's Cradle' and hopscotch. Most adults felt these activities were instrumental in forming friendships when they were younger, with nearly three-quarters saying these interactions are some of their most cherished childhood memories. Gillian McMahon, executive director of international charity Right To Play, commented: "Play is a deep-rooted part of childhood in the UK; however, millions of children globally are unable to claim this basic right." Right to Play is dedicated to transforming the lives of millions of children annually through play. Gillian added: "Extreme challenges such as conflict, poverty, child labour and early marriage are depriving many vulnerable children of the childhood they deserve." The research was released to coincide with International Day of Play on June 11. This UN-recognised day aims to raise awareness about the vital importance of play for children, and emphasise it as a fundamental right. According to the research, most adults are not aware that children's right to play is protected by international law. However, a significant majority of 67% agree that every child should have the right to play, recognising its benefits, including physical exercise, forming friendships, and developing essential social skills like empathy and cooperation. Gillian McMahon emphasised: "Many children are denied the chance to just be kids. We are working to change this situation. "Through our global programmes, we are reaching more than 4.7 million vulnerable children each year in some of the most difficult places on earth. "Using the power of play we are helping children to stay in school, resist exploitation, overcome prejudice and heal from the trauma of war and displacement." TOP 30 PLAYGROUND GAMES OF ALL TIME: Hide and Seek Tag/You're It Skipping ropes (solo and group games) Marbles Hopscotch Conkers British Bulldog What's the Time, Mr Wolf? Football stickers Football cards Hand clapping games (e.g. A Sailor Went to Sea, Miss Mary Mack) Cat's Cradle Yo-Yos Simon Says Sticker albums Stuck in the Mud Duck, Duck, Goose Top Trumps Swingball Ring-a-Ring o' Roses Elastics Paper fortune tellers (chatterboxes) 'The Floor is Lava' Pokemon cards Tamagotchis Pogs Grandma's Footsteps Sleeping Lions Double Dutch Loom bands
Wales Online
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Top 30 playground games from marbles to British Bulldog
Top 30 playground games from marbles to British Bulldog A survey of 2,000 adults has revealed the top 30 most popular childhood games Brits have voted for their top playground games (Image: Getty Images ) A poll of 2,000 adults has unveiled the enduring popularity of traditional children's games, with classics like marbles, British Bulldog, conkers and 'What's the Time, Mr Wolf?' making the top 10 list. The study revealed that over half of the adults surveyed played outdoor games daily during their school years. Other beloved playground pastimes included football cards, yo-yos, 'Cat's Cradle' and hopscotch. Most adults felt these activities were instrumental in forming friendships when they were younger, with nearly three-quarters saying these interactions are some of their most cherished childhood memories. Gillian McMahon, executive director of international charity Right To Play, commented: "Play is a deep-rooted part of childhood in the UK; however, millions of children globally are unable to claim this basic right." Right to Play is dedicated to transforming the lives of millions of children annually through play. Gillian added: "Extreme challenges such as conflict, poverty, child labour and early marriage are depriving many vulnerable children of the childhood they deserve." Article continues below The research was released to coincide with International Day of Play on June 11. This UN-recognised day aims to raise awareness about the vital importance of play for children, and emphasise it as a fundamental right. Right To Play reach 4.7m children through their global programmes (Image: SWNS ) According to the research, most adults are not aware that children's right to play is protected by international law. However, a significant majority of 67% agree that every child should have the right to play, recognising its benefits, including physical exercise, forming friendships, and developing essential social skills like empathy and cooperation. Gillian McMahon emphasised: "Many children are denied the chance to just be kids. We are working to change this situation. "Through our global programmes, we are reaching more than 4.7 million vulnerable children each year in some of the most difficult places on earth. Article continues below "Using the power of play we are helping children to stay in school, resist exploitation, overcome prejudice and heal from the trauma of war and displacement." TOP 30 PLAYGRO UND GAMES OF ALL TIME:
Daily Mirror
10-06-2025
- General
- Daily Mirror
The 30 greatest playground games of all time - from hide and seek to tag
A study of 2,000 adults has uncovered the greatest ever playground games which are still enjoyed by children in school today. A survey of 2,000 adults has revealed which classic children's games have stood the test of time and are still considered the 'best playground games' today. Favourites such as marbles, British Bulldog, conkers and 'What's the Time, Mr Wolf?' all feature in the top 10. Meanwhile, the list also included other well-liked games such as football cards, yo-yos, 'Cat's Cradle' and hopscotch. The research has shown that over half of adults spent time outside playing games every single day when they were at school. The majority believe these social interactions were key when it came to making friends; nearly three quarters regarded these play sessions with friends as some of their fondest childhood memories. Gillian McMahon, executive director of the international charity Right To Play, said: "Play is a deep-rooted part of childhood in the UK; however, millions of children globally are unable to claim this basic right." Right to Play is an organisation which strives to transform the lives of millions of children every year through play. "Extreme challenges such as conflict, poverty, child labour and early marriage are depriving many vulnerable children of the childhood they deserve," Gillian added. The research was published to coincide with International Day of Play, on June 11. This annual UN-recognised day promotes awareness about the crucial role of play for children and underscores play as a fundamental right. The study indicated that the majority of adults were unaware that play is recognised as a basic right for children under international law. However, 67% believe every child should have a right to play, with physical exercise, making friends, and building social skills such as empathy and cooperation seen as key advantages of playing. Gillian McMahon added: "Many children are denied the chance to just be kids. We are working to change this situation. "Through our global programmes, we are reaching more than 4.7 million vulnerable children each year in some of the most difficult places on earth. "Using the power of play we are helping children to stay in school, resist exploitation, overcome prejudice and heal from the trauma of war and displacement." TOP 30 PLAYGROUND GAMES OF ALL TIME: Hide and Seek Tag/You're It Skipping ropes (solo and group games) Marbles Hopscotch Conkers British Bulldog What's the Time, Mr Wolf? Football stickers Football cards Hand clapping games (e.g. A Sailor Went to Sea, Miss Mary Mack) Cat's Cradle Yo-Yos Simon Says Sticker albums Stuck in the Mud Duck, Duck, Goose Top Trumps Swingball Ring-a-Ring o' Roses Elastics Paper fortune tellers (chatterboxes) 'The Floor is Lava' Pokemon cards Tamagotchis Pogs Grandma's Footsteps Sleeping Lions Double Dutch Loom bands
Hamilton Spectator
10-06-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Right To Play International asks people to play and share their stories on Wednesday
As two of Canada's most experienced Olympians, Miranda Ayim and Erica Wiebe have made careers out of playing sports at the highest levels of competition. But some of their most formative memories are of playing as children with almost no stakes. 'We basically would have a neighbourhood-wide game of tag where we were just jumping fences from yard to yard,' said Ayim, who was on Canada's women's basketball team at four Olympics. 'I don't know if our parents really appreciated that, but we felt so adventurous going from yard to yard and running but still feeling safe to do so in that neighbourhood, and enjoying that time and that feeling of freedom.' For Wiebe, who won gold in women's wrestling at the 2016 Rio Olympics, one of her fondest memories is of instantly clicking with teammates in her first match with a new youth soccer team. 'We started the game with the ball, the whistle blows, and we went tic-tac-toe and just passed back and forth up the field, and it ended with me passing to my teammate and she scored,' said Wiebe in a recent phone interview. 'It was just this joyous moment where everything just fit together. 'It was maybe my first, earliest, flow state experience.' Ayim and Wiebe are two of Right To Play International's Canadian ambassadors, encouraging people to participate in the United Nations' International Day of Play on Wednesday. The aim of the day is to celebrate the power of play in children's lives, and encourage parents to guide their children back into the kind of experiences Ayim and Wiebe still cherish. 'You don't realize that you are missing it until you become an adult, but that kind of taps on the importance of Right To Play,' said Ayim. 'When I think back on that feeling of freedom and safety, Right To Play is providing that for a lot of children.' Based in Toronto, Right To Play International has worked for 25 years to protect, educate, and empower children to rise above adversity through the power of play. The charity says that play is in sharp decline because of shrinking access to public play spaces, rising screen time, and academic pressure. Right to Play's Ellen Fesseha says that's a concern because play doesn't just give children a social outlet, it teaches them life skills. 'It's developmentally appropriate, meaning it really meets children at the level that they're at, the active skills that they have at whatever point they're at in their development,' saud Fesseha, a play specialist at the organization. 'It allows them to to engage in meaningful ways, to actively participate, to explore the world around them, and then beyond that, it really allows children to take a step further in what they can do. It really pushes them beyond their limit, and allows them to continue to build skills.' According to UNICEF, around one in five children between the ages of two and four do not play with their caregivers at home. Right To Play argues that 'disappearing play' is not just a parenting issue, it's a public health, education, and equity issue, especially in underserved communities where access to safe, free play is limited or non-existent. 'We focus on education, on learning outcomes. We focus on reaching children in hard to reach places. We focus on helping children through trauma, through crises,' said Susan McIsaac, Right To Play International's president and chief executive officer. 'Play is the instrument that allowed us to reach children, to help empower children, to help children learn. 'That is why we wanted to acknowledge play as an important tool in the world, and it's why the International Day of Play will be a big day of celebration for all of us at Right To Play.' McIsaac hopes that Canadians will participate in the International Day of Play on Wednesday by doing at least one of three things. The first is simple: just play. Play with the children in their lives or with friends and colleagues and share that experience, tagging Right To Play on social media. Second, McIsaac hopes that people will follow Ayim and Wiebe's lead by sharing stories online of joyful play from their childhoods with the hashtag PlayChangesEverything. Finally, Right To Play will accept donations through its website. 'We're hoping that they'll do that, build awareness, support, financially, get out there and play and tell people about it,' said McIsaac. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 10, 2025.
