To my fellow ‘Students’, past and present. I’m writing to invite you to support Batting for Change this summer. It’s a fundraising initiative I founded three years ago to support the education of women living in poverty in developing cricket-playing nations.
Now, life at Sydney University Cricket Club is not all fun and glory; it certainly has its injustices. Sometimes you get duped by poor refereeing in Nash ball. Sometimes you get bracketed in to a higher grade only to stand in the field for three weeks in a row. And sometimes you get fined for things you cannot control, like the shape of your ears or the colour of your hair, or because your great great grandfather’s last name also happens to be a first name.
But I think we can agree that overall we are immensely lucky. We live in a prosperous and peaceful country, and many of us studied at this world class university. Each Saturday we join our mates to play a game of cricket, just because we can, because we enjoy it.
It is a sad thing that millions of people in the cricket-playing world are far less fortunate. Indeed, in India alone there are more than one hundred million young people living on less than one dollar per day. That’s one dollar per day for all expenses, including food, water, shelter, and healthcare, let alone education.
Each summer Batting for Change raises money for The LBW Trust charity by asking people to pledge to donate for every six the Sydney Sixers hit in the Big Bash League. The money we raise supports the education of young women in India, Sri Lanka and Kenya who are disadvantaged by their poverty, but also their gender. Educating women greatly expands their opportunities for a meaningful life free from poverty, and helps prevent child marriage, child labour and prostitution. This summer we are hoping to raise $150,000, enough to support the education of over six hundred women.
If you're interested in supporting a more level playing field in global education, I'd love for you to log on to www.battingforchange.com.au and make a pledge or a flat donation towards our BBL campaign. Every dollar counts for the women we are assisting; we are grateful for all donations large and small.
If you’d like to support in other ways you can share our video on social media or share this message with friends and family. You could also wear a Batting for Change sticker on your bat like several of our players have done this season (stickers can be collected at the no.1 oval canteen).
Thank you very much for your support! Here’s to a wonderful Christmas and new year for all Students, here and abroad, and for healing injustices, great and small.
Ryan Carters